Self-Employment to Individual Artisans - The Handicrafts sector is the major industrial activity and is presently providing jobs to nearly about 3.50 lacs persons. Majority of these craftsmen, artisans & weavers belong to socio economically backward classes and are below the poverty line. They are unable to carry on their activities for want adequate capital base and are also subject to guile of the middleman who takes every opportunity to exploit them. Mostly these craftsman, artisans and weavers are less educated and can not avail the benefit under PMRY State Self Employment Schemes. In order to arrest this trend viz-a-viz check the traditional industry from extinction and to boost economic conditions of these groups ultimately resulting in employment generation , the state Govt. has formulated a special Credit Plan to provide financial assistance for setting up self-employment generating units under Crafts Specific Schemes at affordable terms to make them free from middleman and enable them to produce and market their goods giving them better living conditions and improving their general health.

The Credit Plan Schemes aims at providing easy and soft credit to the Artisans, Weavers, Members of cooperative societies, society wise and crafts men engaged in different Handicrafts activities to start their independent ventures. The scheme envisages 90% financial assistance in the form of loan from the banks and 10% promoters’ contribution for setting up of units. The department provides 10% interest subsidy on the loans advanced by the banks to the registered artisans for a period of five years.

To sum up, the impact of the scheme is to provide considerable employment opportunities in the Handicraft sector &also to uplift the economic empowerment to the artisan fraternity of the state.