Lok Sabha Question No. 2232 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-08
Subject: Financial Assistance to Melas and Exhibitions
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: Mukesh Rajput

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†2232

## ANSWERED ON 08.03.2021

## FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO MELAS AND EXHIBITIONS

## †2232. SHRI MUKESH RAJPUT:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any scheme to provide incentives to melas  and  exhibitions  organized  on the occasion  of various festivals in various regions of the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the district  administration  allocates  any  budget  for  Ram Nagaria mela organized on the banks of the river Ganga in Maagh month in Farrukhabad;
- (d)
- if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) if not, whether the Government proposes to provide assistance for
- such melas?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)

(a) to (e): Yes, Sir.

The Ministry of Tourism provides financial assistance to State/UT Govt. for organizing fairs & festivals and tourism related events such as seminars, conclaves, conventions etc. for promotion of Tourism.

The fairs, festivals and events are selected by the State/UT Govt. based  on  their  tourism  potential  and  are  supported  by  Ministry  of Tourism  subject  to availability of funds, submission  of Utilization Certificates providing all requisite documents and adherence to existing scheme guidelines.

No proposal for Ram Nagaria Mela has been received by Ministry of Tourism from State Govt. of Uttar Pradesh.

Scheme Guidelines placed at Annexure.

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No. 2-TP(4)/2002

## ANNEXURE

## STATEMENT  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†2232 ANSWERED ON 08.03.2021 REGARDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO MELAS AND EXHIBITIONS

## Government of India Ministry of Tourism

(Publicity, Events and IT  Division)

1 st  July, 2010

Approved Guidelines for Financial Assistance  to  State Government / Union Territory Administrations  for  Organizing Fair and  Festivals and

Tourism related Events

The  Department  of  Tourism  shall  provide  financial  assistance to State Governments  /  UT  Administrations  for  organizing  fairs  / festivals and tourism related events such as seminars,  conclaves, conventions  etc.  for  the  promotion  of  tourism.  The  conditions  for providing  the  financial  assistance would  be  as  under:-

1. The  fairs,  festivals  and  events  should   be  selected   by the State Governments / UTs based on their tourism potential.
2. Ministry of Tourism,  Government  of  India  would  provide a maximum financial assistance of Rs. 25.00 Lakh per fair / festival / event  in  the  case  of  States  and  Rs.  15.00  Lakh  in  case of  Union Territory.
3. Maximum  financial  assistance  to  be  provided to each State  Government  /  UT  Administration  during  1 financial  year should  not  exceed  Rs.  50.00  lakh.  The  Financial  Ceiling  for  the Union  Territories  would  be  Rs. 30.00 Lakhs.
4. Assistance for maximum  of  6  fairs/ festivals / events  only will  be  provided  to  the  State  Governments  or  Union  Territories during one  financial year. In  case of more  than  6  fairs  for  a particular state, 2 more fairs can be considered on receiving the full justification  about  the same  and  approval of  Secretary (Tourism) will have      to  be obtained for considering such      requests. However,  the  ceiling indicated  in  3  above would  remain.
5. The  fair,  festival  or  event should be identified by the States  /  UTs  based  on  their  potential  for  the  development  and promotion  of  tourism and  informed  to   the   Ministry of Tourism well in  advance.
6. Central Financial Assistance would be provided only  for the following items :-
- i) Creation  of  semi  permanent  structures.
8. ii) Production  of  posters,  pamphlets,  advertisement  in   newspaper and production  of film.
9. iii)
10. Remuneration  of  artists.
11. iv) Sitting  arrangements,  lighting,  sound,  lodging  &  boarding, transportation, hiring of space and other similar  activities.
7. Prior  approval of the Ministry of Tourism should be taken before committing any expenditure and proposals should be  sent  to the  Ministry  at least 2  months  in  advance  of  the  event.  No assistance would be extended on ex-post        facto basis.
8. Support of the Ministry of Tourism would be subject to availability  of  funds  and relevance  of the  event.
9. Adequate  publicity  to  the  Ministry  of  Tourism  would be given  in  the  different  advertisements  or  media  releases  issued  by the State Governments / UTs. Ministry's logo (Incredible India)  and website  would  also   be   given due  publicity.
10. The  State  Government  /  UT  Governments  organizing  the event  would  contribute  atleast  50  %  of  the total  expenditure involved on  the  fair / festival or event.
11. Ministry  of  Tourism  will  release  100%   amount   towards the proposals  approved.  However,  3      proposals      only,  can  be submitted by the State Government / Union Territory Administrations  in the first  instance. No fair  /  festival  /  event proposal will be considered thereafter unless the State Government submits full details of the expenditure (including State / UTs components) and Utilization  Certificate  for  the  amount  with a  brief  note  on  the  advantages  gained  as  the  outcome  of  fair / festival  /  event  towards  the  assistance  provided  for  3  proposals. Subsequently, the other proposal  can  be sent to Ministry of

Tourism as  mentioned  in para 4  above.

12. The proposal for the financial assistance should include in  details  the  break-up  of  expenditure  and  the  agencies involved in organizing  the event. The      proposal  should  also include  the  names  of sponsors if any, and the amount being contributed  by them.
13. The  State Governments  /  UTs  must  follow  all codal formalities  while  spending  the  money  released  by  the  Ministry  of Tourism  as  financial  assistance.
14. To the  North-Eastern  States  including  Sikkim  and   the state of Jammu and Kashmir, 100 % assistance may be provided by the Ministry  of  Tourism,  Government  of  India.

Instructions for MoT's Divisions

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1. The  proposals  received  from the  State  Governments  / Union Territory Administrations will be processed by the concerned programme / planning division of the Ministry. While processing proposals for 2010-11, in respect of any State  /  UT,  the  status  of  Utilization Certificates  (UCs) pending for the years upto  2009-10  in  respect  of  that State / UT  shall also be  indicated.
2. The concerned division will open only one file  for  each State  /  Union  Territory  during  one  financial year  for all  the  fairs / festivals / events of that  State / UT.
3. The  Division  will  try  to  ensure that UCs and other details are  received  from the  States / Union Territories in  time.
4. Preference  would  be  given to  the  proposals received online and online submission of UCs and other details          will be  encouraged.

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