Lok Sabha Question No. 3095 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-20
Subject: Schemes to Support Modakondamma Jatara Festival
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Chandra Sekhar Bellana

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3095

ANSWERED ON 20.03.2023

## SCHEMES TO SUPPORT MODAKONDAMMA JATARA FESTIVAL

## 3095. SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR BELLANA:

Will the Minister of Culture be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of regional festivals supported via Central schemes across the country;
- (b)  the schemes to support the Modakondamma Jatara festival organised in Alluri District, Andhra Pradesh;
- (c) the details of schemes to economically empower the tribal groups of this district through the festival; and
- (d)  if no schemes, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF CULTURE, TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

(a) There  is  no  particular  central  scheme  administered  by  Ministry  of  Culture  for supporting  Regional  Festivals  across  the  country.  However,  there  is  a  scheme  namely Domestic Festival & Fair which is a sub-component of the Central Sector Scheme named as Kala  Sanskriti  Vikas  Yojana.  National  level  festivals  called  Rashtriya  Sanskriti  Mahotsavs (RSMs) are organized under the provisions of this scheme. A minimum number of two (2) RSMs are required to be organized in a financial year by Ministry of Culture.

Further,  to  protect,  promote  and  preserve  various  forms  of  folk  art  and  culture throughout  the  country,  the  Government  of  India  has  set  up  seven  Zonal  Cultural  Centres (ZCCs)  with  headquarters  at  Patiala,  Nagpur,  Udaipur,  Prayagraj,  Kolkata,  Dimapur  and Thanjavur.  These  ZCCs  organize  various  cultural  activities  and  programmes  on  a  regular basis throughout the year in their member States for which they are provided annual grant-inaid by the Ministry. As  per Vision  Document 2020-24, a  minimum number of 42 regional festivals  are  required  to  be  organized  in  a  financial  year  by  all  the  seven  ZCCs  in  their member States out of the grant-in-aid released to them by the Ministry. State/UT-wise funds are not released by the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India to organize festivals in the States including  the  State  of  Andhra  Pradesh.  Details  of  Regional  festivals  organized  by  ZCCs during the last three years are as under:-

|   Sl. No. | Year    |   No. of Regional Festivals organized |
|-----------|---------|---------------------------------------|
|         1 | 2019-20 |                                    99 |
|         2 | 2020-21 |                                    69 |
|         3 | 2021-22 |                                   112 |

- (b) Does not arise in view of the reply to part (a) above.

(c) & (d) National level festivals like Rashtriya Sanskriti  Mahotsavs  (RSMs)  are organized by the Ministry where a large number of folk and tribal artists from all over the country  including  Andhra  Pradesh  are  engaged  who  showcase  their  talents  during  these programmes. From November, 2015 onwards, fourteen (14) RSMs have been organized by Ministry of Culture across the country.  RSM  was  organized  in  Andhra  Pradesh  at Rajahmundry on 26 th and 27 th March, 2022. Folk and tribal artists engaged by these ZCCs for RSMs and Regional Festivals are paid honorarium, DA/TA, boarding & lodging etc. to enable them to earn their livelihood.

Since  2007,  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs,  Government  of  India  is  running  a  special scheme  called  Conservation  cum  Development  Plan  (CCD)  meant  for  the  75  identified Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) in the Country. Under this Centrally sponsored scheme, the grants are given to States and Union Territories inhabited by such tribal groups to ensure  that  along  with  development  interventions,  the  culture  of  such  communities  is  also preserved, protected and promoted. The Ministry allocates annual budgetary provision to the States/UTs where the PVTGs inhabit.

Further 27 Tribal Research Institutes (TRI) have been set up across the country with an  objective  to  act  as  a  think  tank  and  become  repository  of  information  on  tribal communities. Under the scheme 'Support to TRIs', the Ministry of Tribal Affairs provides funds  to  TRIs  for  undertaking  studies  and  documentation  on  life  and  culture  of  tribal communities  including  tribes  of  North  East.  TRIs  have  conducted  documentation  (AudioVideo, photos and documentation in written and published form) of indigenous knowledge systems practices, cultures and customs of the tribal communities.

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