LUCKNOW, Sept. 18 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday disbursed loans worth Rs 1.32 lakh crore for the MSME sector, distributed toolkits to 12,000 artisans under the Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana and appointment letters to 111 junior assistants on the occasion of Vishwakarma Jayanti. "UP has the highest number of MSMEs in the country - 96 lakh units. About two crore people are directly employed in this sector, while three crore are engaged in agriculture. That is why we launched ODOP on January 24, 2018, on the state's foundation day. I am happy it has now become a model for the entire nation," he said. The CM inaugurated the two-day Vishwakarma Expo-2025 at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan here. He announced that 12 new trades have been added to the 11 traditional artisan trades. These include mobile repair, automobile repair, electronics goods repair, electrical goods repair, plumbing, computer repair, solar panel repair, digital photography, beauty and wellness, among others. "In the last eight and a half years, our artisans and craftsmen have transformed UP from a sick state to a growth engine of development. Uttar Pradesh has now become a state with unlimited potential, " the CM emphasised. "In 2017, a loan of only Rs.44 was available for a deposit of Rs.100...today this ratio has risen to 62%. The goal is to increase this to 75% by the next financial year," he added. Recalling Mahatma Gandhi's idea of gram swaraj, Adityanath said villages used to be self-reliant and their artisans and craftsmen strengthened the social and economic system....