Lok Sabha Question No. 4189 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-27
Subject: Pension to Traditional Folk Theatre/Arts/Dance Artists
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Arjunlal Meena

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4189

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.03.2023

## 'PENSION TO TRADITIONAL FOLK THEATRE/ARTS/DANCE ARTISTS'

## 4189. SHRI ARJUN LAL MEENA:

## Will the MINISTER OF CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  provides  pensions  to  the  artists  of  traditional  folk theatre, folk arts and folk dance;
- (b) if so, the State/UT-wise details of the pension provided to various artists so far as on date;
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  provide  pension  to  the  artists  who perform Gawari dance of Rajasthan; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF CULTURE, TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION

## (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

- (a) The Government  administers a Scheme  namely  'Scheme for Financial Assistance for Veteran Artists' under which financial assistance is provided to the veteran artists including the artists of traditional folk theatre, folk arts and folk dance artists of the age of 60 years and above having annual income not more than 48,000/-.
- (b) The  State/UT-wise  details  of  financial  assistance  provided  to  various  artists during last four years and the current year are given at Annexure .
- (c)&(d) As stated above, financial assistance is provided to veteran artists of all genres of the age of 60 years and above living in penury condition including the artists performing Gawari dance of Rajasthan.  The numbers of artists supported and amount  of  financial  assistance  provided  during  the  last  three  years  and  the current year are as under:-

| Financial Year             |   Financial Assistance provided (Rs. In crore) |   Numbers of Artists supported |
|----------------------------|------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| 2019-20                    |                                          18.17 |                           3188 |
| 2020-21                    |                                           8.71 |                           2000 |
| 2021-22                    |                                          15.42 |                           3029 |
| 2022-23 (as on 22.03.2023) |                                          15.98 |                           3238 |

## Scheme for Financial Assistance for Veteran Artists

## Annexure

(Rs. In Lakhs)

| Sl. No.   | States         | FY - 2018-19     | FY - 2018-19         | FY-2019-20       | FY-2019-20           | FY - 2020-21     | FY - 2020-21         | FY - 2021-22     | FY - 2021-22          | FY - 2022-23 (as on 22.03.2023)   | FY - 2022-23 (as on 22.03.2023)   |
|-----------|----------------|------------------|----------------------|------------------|----------------------|------------------|----------------------|------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|           |                | Amount Disbursed | No of Benefi ciaries | Amount Disbursed | No of Benefici aries | Amount Disbursed | No of Benefi ciaries | Amount Disbursed | No of Bene ficiari es | Amount Disbursed                  | No of Benefi ciaries              |
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh | 6.49             | 41                   | 22.16            | 54                   | 5.1              | 29                   | 72.29            | 89                    | 54.28                             | 126                               |
| 2         | Assam          | 1.68             | 4                    | 1.92             | 5                    | 0.96             | 2                    | 0.48             | 1                     | 1.57                              | 1                                 |
| 3         | Haryana        | 0.44             | 7                    | 0.04             | 1                    | -                | -                    | 0.93             | 1                     | 0.17                              | 1                                 |
| 4         | Jharkhand      | 2.57             | 42                   | 1.11             | 8                    | 2.28             | 8                    | 3.00             | 5                     | 2.75                              | 6                                 |
| 5         | Karnataka      | 64.42            | 168                  | 30.29            | 102                  | 29.97            | 144                  | 59.55            | 146                   | 35.34                             | 102                               |
| 6         | Kerala         | 27.57            | 108                  | 13.34            | 83                   | 8.18             | 24                   | 24.49            | 57                    | 22.08                             | 46                                |
| 7         | Madhya Pradesh | 2.64             | 45                   | 5.41             | 16                   | 2.44             | 6                    | 5.04             | 12                    | 3.5                               | 5                                 |
| 8         | Maharashtra    | 72.82            | 234                  | 85.86            | 324                  | 106.61           | 206                  | 190.49           | 448                   | 163.83                            | 570                               |
| 9         | Manipur        | 4.48             | 11                   | 3.08             | 13                   | 3.36             | 9                    | 7.84             | 16                    | 0.6                               | 5                                 |
| 10        | Nagaland       | 0.16             | 1                    | 0.04             | 1                    | 0.48             | 1                    | 0.92             | 2                     | 0.12                              | 1                                 |
| 11        | Odisha         | 156.28           | 436                  | 84.04            | 238                  | 119.46           | 355                  | 276.95           | 828                   | 281.9                             | 865                               |
| 12        | Rajasthan      | 1.27             | 10                   | 0.87             | 5                    | 0.07             | 2                    | 1.23             | 2                     | 0.71                              | 2                                 |
| 13        | Tamil Nadu     | 19.58            | 45                   | 9.92             | 36                   | 0.87             | 6                    | 15.49            | 22                    | 11.67                             | 16                                |
| 14        | Telangana      | 72.2             | 181                  | 86.18            | 163                  | 53.2             | 86                   | 217.29           | 342                   | 214.03                            | 419                               |
| 15        | Tripura        | 0.78             | 2                    | 0.06             | 2                    | 0.24             | 1                    | 0.92             | 2                     | 0.12                              | 1                                 |
| 16        | Uttar Pradesh  | 1.8              | 21                   | 3.2              | 8                    | 5.12             | 9                    | 13.08            | 46                    | 11.38                             | 51                                |
| 17        | West Bengal    | 10.71            | 46                   | 8.26             | 25                   | 5.09             | 37                   | 12.31            | 32                    | 10.47                             | 25                                |
|           | Total          | 445.93           | 1356                 | 355.82           | 1084                 | 343.46           | 925                  | 902.30           | 2051                  | 814.52                            | 2242                              |
|           | LIC            | 1527.7           | 2764                 | 1461.8           | 2104                 | 527.85           | 1075                 | 639.87           | 978                   | 783.58                            | 996                               |
|           | G. Total       | 1973.6           | 4120                 | 1817.6           | 3188                 | 871.31           | 2000                 | 1542.17          | 3029                  | 1598.1                            | 3238                              |