Lok Sabha Question No. 3515 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-08
Subject: Special Cultural Fund to Organise Cultural Programmes
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: P.P. Chaudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3515 TO BE ANSWERED ON 8 th AUGUST, 2022

## SPECIAL CULTURAL FUND TO ORGANISE CULTURAL PROGRAMMES

## 3515. SHRI P.P. CHAUDHARY:

Will the MINISTER OF CULTURE be pleased to state :

- (a)  whether the Government has any mechanism to set up a special cultural fund for organizing cultural programmes at the district level to promote the precious culture of this country, especially to promote the cultural/ tourist places of Rajasthan and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether the Government has data regarding the allocation of funds to the different zonal Culture Centres and if so, the details thereof during the last three years; and
- (c) the  criteria  for  allocation  of  funds  and  the  manner  in  which  the  funds  are  being utilized?

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

- (a)The  Ministry  of  Culture  administers  various  schemes  such  as  Repertory  Grant, Cultural Function Production Grant and Financial Assistance to Cultural Organisation  with  National  Presence  under  which  grants  are  being  given  as financial assistance to the organisations to organise cultural events throughout the country  including  the  State  of  Rajasthan.  Besides,  Seven  Zonal  Cultural  Centres across the country play a key role in promotion of culture through the programmes decided in consultation with their member States. Rajasthan is a member State of West Zone Cultural Centre (WZCC) and a part of the grant provided to WZCC is being utilized to organise cultural  programmes  in Rajasthan. However, the execution process is not administered at district level.
- (b)The details of funds allocated by the Government to the seven ZCCs during the last three (3) years are Annexed .

(c)   To protect, promote and preserve various forms of folk art & 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 throughout the country on  regular  basis  through  their  members  states  falling  in  their  jurisdiction  for  which annual grant-in-aid is provided to them.

Budget Division allocates annual budget to all the seven ZCCs considering them as a single  unit.  ZCC-wise  budget  allocation  is  thereafter,  made  internally  at  the  Ministry level taking into account the unspent balance lying with the individual ZCC during the last financial year.

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## Allocation of funds to Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs)

|   Sl. No. | Name of ZCC      |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   (Rs. in lakh) 2021-22 |
|-----------|------------------|-----------|-----------|-------------------------|
|         1 | NZCC, Patiala    |       928 |    1302.6 |                  501.45 |
|         2 | NCZCC, Prayagraj |       949 |    1152.6 |                  851.45 |
|         3 | WZCC, Udaipur    |      1009 |    1302.6 |                  651.45 |
|         4 | SCZCC, Nagpur    |       948 |    1302.6 |                  751.45 |
|         5 | EZCC, Kolkata    |       953 |    1202.6 |                  801.45 |
|         6 | SZCC, Thanjavur  |       869 |    1252.6 |                  751.45 |
|         7 | NEZCC, Dimapur   |      1043 |    1002.4 |                  801.3  |

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