GO for financial aid to folk artistes, wards issued

“At a time when culture has evolved and different forms of media have come into place it has become the need of the hour to revive the traditional folk arts and to uplift the livelihood of the folk artistes. For the purpose, the benefits enjoyed by the labourers of unorganised sector will be extended to folk arts which will enable to draw financial help from the state government,” read the GO.

The GO also stated that daughters of folk artistes studying in Class 10 or 11 will get Rs 1,000 as financial help per year and for daughters studying in Class 12 Rs 1,500 will be given. For both sons and daughters studying “a proper undergraduate course will be given Rs 1,500 per annum.”

For sons and daughters of folk artistes staying in hostels and studying undergraduate course will receive Rs 1,750 per annum and the financial help extends up to Rs 8,000 per annum for students studying post graduate technical courses by staying in hostels. For wards of folk artistes studying in polytechnic and ITI the annual financial aid would be Rs 1,000 and for those staying in hostels and studying in ITI and polytechnic colleges will get Rs 1,200 per annum.

Marriage assistance for folk artistes or their wards will be Rs 5,000, for two occasions and for prenatal care the financial aid is Rs 6,000. In case of natural death, the family of the folk artistes will be given Rs 20,000 and Rs 5,000 for final rites. In case of death due to accident, the financial aid will be Rs 1 lakh for the family.

There are 33,575 folk artistes registered in the Folk Artistes Welfare Board of the state and so far, monetary benefit to the tune of Rs 1.39 crore hadbeen given to the members by the state.