Lok Sabha Question No. 263 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-05
Subject: Pension Scheme for Artists
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: ANTO  ANTONY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION Q.NO. 263 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.02.2018

## PENSION SCHEME FOR ARTISTS

## 263.   SHRI ANTO ANTONY

## Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  implementing  any  scheme  called,  'Scheme  for Pension and Medical Aid to Artistes' (SPMAA);
- (b) if so, the objectives and salient features of the Scheme;
- (c) whether the Government has any record regarding the number of beneficiaries and the amount distributed under the SPMAA during the last three years;
- (d) if so, the details thereof, State/year-wise; and
- (e) whether the Government  has  received  any  representation regarding the enhancement of the quantum of amount under the SPMAA and if so, the details thereof, and the response of the Government thereto?

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR CULTURE

## ANSWER AND

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a)  Yes, Madam.
- (b)  The Government is implementing a Scheme namely 'Scheme for Pension and Medical Aid to Artistes' (SPMAA).The objectives of this Scheme is to improve financial and socio-economic status of the old aged artistes and scholars who have  contributed  significantly  in  their  specialized  fields  of  arts,  letters  etc.  in their active age or are still contributing in the field of arts, letters etc. but leading a miserable life or are in penury condition. The Scheme has also provision to provide  medical  aid  facility  to  such  Artistes  and  his/her  spouse  by  covering them  under  a  convenient  and  affordable  Health  Insurance  Scheme  of  the Government.

In  order  to  be  eligible  under  this  Scheme,  personal  income  of  the applicant artiste (including income of the spouse) must not exceed Rs.4,000/(Rupees  four  thousand  only)  per  month  or  annual  income  of  Rs.48,000/(Rupees forty  eight  thousand  only)  [This  excludes  artiste  pension  assistance amount already getting by a beneficiary from the Government (i.e. concerned State Govt./UT Administration and/or Ministry of Culture)]. Also, the applicant artiste should not be less than 60 (sixty) years of age (this does not apply in the case of spouse) and the applicant artiste is getting pension of at least Rs.500/per month from the concerned State Government/UT Administration.

In the event of death of the beneficiary artiste, the financial assistance is transferred to his/her spouse.

- (c)  & (d)   Yes, Madam. The year-wise amount distributed under the Scheme is as under:-

| Financial Year   |   Total amount distributed(in crores) |   No. of beneficiaries |
|------------------|---------------------------------------|------------------------|
| 2014-2015        |                                 15.63 |                   2967 |
| 2015-2016        |                                 13.86 |                   2788 |
| 2016-2017        |                                 13.17 |                   3376 |

The  State/UT  wise  details  of  beneficiaries  under  SPMAA  during  the last three years are given at annexure.

- (e)           Some representation for enhancement of quantum of amount under the SPMAA  has  been  received  in the Ministry but it is not under active consideration of the Government.

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| Annexure to the reply of part (c) &(d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 263 to be answered on 05.02.2018 on Pension Scheme for Artists.   | Annexure to the reply of part (c) &(d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 263 to be answered on 05.02.2018 on Pension Scheme for Artists.   | Annexure to the reply of part (c) &(d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 263 to be answered on 05.02.2018 on Pension Scheme for Artists.   | Annexure to the reply of part (c) &(d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 263 to be answered on 05.02.2018 on Pension Scheme for Artists.   | Annexure to the reply of part (c) &(d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 263 to be answered on 05.02.2018 on Pension Scheme for Artists.   |
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| Sl. No.                                                                                                                                          | States                                                                                                                                           | 2014- 15                                                                                                                                         | 2015- 16                                                                                                                                         | 2016-17                                                                                                                                          |
| 1                                                                                                                                                | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                                   | 304                                                                                                                                              | 295                                                                                                                                              | 312                                                                                                                                              |
| 2                                                                                                                                                | Assam                                                                                                                                            | 28                                                                                                                                               | 28                                                                                                                                               | 34                                                                                                                                               |
| 3                                                                                                                                                | Bihar                                                                                                                                            | 38                                                                                                                                               | 38                                                                                                                                               | 41                                                                                                                                               |
| 4                                                                                                                                                | Delhi                                                                                                                                            | 38                                                                                                                                               | 38                                                                                                                                               | 42                                                                                                                                               |
| 5                                                                                                                                                | Goa                                                                                                                                              | 7                                                                                                                                                | 7                                                                                                                                                | 8                                                                                                                                                |
| 6                                                                                                                                                | Gujarat                                                                                                                                          | 5                                                                                                                                                | 5                                                                                                                                                | 5                                                                                                                                                |
| 7                                                                                                                                                | Haryana                                                                                                                                          | 28                                                                                                                                               | 28                                                                                                                                               | 28                                                                                                                                               |
| 8                                                                                                                                                | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                 | 6                                                                                                                                                | 6                                                                                                                                                | 6                                                                                                                                                |
| 9                                                                                                                                                | Jammu & Kashmir                                                                                                                                  | NIL                                                                                                                                              | NIL                                                                                                                                              | 2                                                                                                                                                |
| 10                                                                                                                                               | Jharkhand                                                                                                                                        | 6                                                                                                                                                | 6                                                                                                                                                | 7                                                                                                                                                |
| 11                                                                                                                                               | Karnataka                                                                                                                                        | 613                                                                                                                                              | 588                                                                                                                                              | 673                                                                                                                                              |
| 12                                                                                                                                               | Kerala                                                                                                                                           | 219                                                                                                                                              | 212                                                                                                                                              | 288                                                                                                                                              |
| 13                                                                                                                                               | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                                   | 30                                                                                                                                               | 30                                                                                                                                               | 45                                                                                                                                               |
| 14                                                                                                                                               | Maharashtra                                                                                                                                      | 760                                                                                                                                              | 684                                                                                                                                              | 871                                                                                                                                              |
| 15                                                                                                                                               | Manipur                                                                                                                                          | 109                                                                                                                                              | 97                                                                                                                                               | 117                                                                                                                                              |
| 16                                                                                                                                               | Meghalaya                                                                                                                                        | 1                                                                                                                                                | 1                                                                                                                                                | 1                                                                                                                                                |
| 17                                                                                                                                               | Mizoram                                                                                                                                          | 4                                                                                                                                                | 4                                                                                                                                                | 5                                                                                                                                                |
| 18                                                                                                                                               | Nagaland                                                                                                                                         | NIL                                                                                                                                              | NIL                                                                                                                                              | 2                                                                                                                                                |
| 19                                                                                                                                               | Odisha                                                                                                                                           | 218                                                                                                                                              | 198                                                                                                                                              | 241                                                                                                                                              |
| 20                                                                                                                                               | Puducherry                                                                                                                                       | 6                                                                                                                                                | 6                                                                                                                                                | 6                                                                                                                                                |
| 21                                                                                                                                               | Punjab                                                                                                                                           | 3                                                                                                                                                | 3                                                                                                                                                | 7                                                                                                                                                |
| 22                                                                                                                                               | Rajasthan                                                                                                                                        | 3                                                                                                                                                | 3                                                                                                                                                | 14                                                                                                                                               |
| 23                                                                                                                                               | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                                       | 185                                                                                                                                              | 165                                                                                                                                              | 229                                                                                                                                              |
| 24                                                                                                                                               | Telangana                                                                                                                                        | 90                                                                                                                                               | 90                                                                                                                                               | 103                                                                                                                                              |
| 25                                                                                                                                               | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                                    | 198                                                                                                                                              | 188                                                                                                                                              | 201                                                                                                                                              |
| 26                                                                                                                                               | Uttarakhand                                                                                                                                      | 8                                                                                                                                                | 8                                                                                                                                                | 11                                                                                                                                               |
| 27                                                                                                                                               | West Bengal                                                                                                                                      | 60                                                                                                                                               | 60                                                                                                                                               | 77                                                                                                                                               |
| Total                                                                                                                                            | Total                                                                                                                                            | 2967                                                                                                                                             | 2788                                                                                                                                             | 3376                                                                                                                                             |