NEW DELHI, Oct 19: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has mooted the idea of a “vishwakarma bank” which would give loans only to skilled workers, as he hailed the hard work of carpenters and other artisans and called for support to them.
Sharing a video on his social media accounts on Thursday of his visit to the Kirti Nagar furniture market here on September 28, Gandhi said that moving towards connecting the artisans and working people of India, he reached the market and met “carpenter brothers” — the heroes of Asia’s largest wood market.
“Spent a whole day working together as per their daily routine and made a bench for school children,” the former Congress chief said.
“The work of carpenter brothers is a unique blend of hard work and art. What is needed is encouragement and support – to show the way in building big businesses and to make that path smooth with financial assistance,” he said.
In the video, Gandhi is seen working on making a bench for school children and handling various carpenters’ tools.
He also asks carpenters about their problems and whether they would want to bring in more machinery if they had financial assistance.
“What if a Vishwakarma bank is set up? A bank that would give loans only to vishwakarmas, that gives loans only to those people who are skilled workers, wood workers, it will not give loans to anyone else,” Gandhi tells a carpenter, who says that this would really help them, according to the video.
Just days before Gandhi’s visit to Kirti Nagar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched a Rs 13,000-crore PM Vishwakarma Yojana for traditional artisans and craftsmen.
In the video, several carpenters hail Gandhi for his visit to the market and spending time with them.
“What will you do if you get a loan,” Gandhi asked carpenters who said they would buy wood, take big orders, hire artisans and expand their business.
“Spent the whole day with the carpenter brothers of Kirti Nagar, learned their work, and they told me the secret of the ‘chair’,” the former Congress chief said.
Gandhi has been interacting with various sections of society — from mechanics and porters to students and carpenters — asserting that his Bharat Jodo Yatra, which he undertook from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, continues with these interactions.
He recently also visited Ladakh and held interactions with various social groups. (PTI)
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