Lok Sabha Question No. 92 (STARRED), answered on 2024-12-02
Subject: Welfare of Veteran Artists
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Rajmohan Unnithan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *92 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.12.2024

## WELFARE OF VETERAN ARTISTS

## *92. SHRI RAJMOHAN UNNITHAN:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the challenges that veteran artists face in maintaining stable incomes and career longevity;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  of  the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  adequate welfare support;
- (c) whether  the  Government  plans  to  implement  a  new  free  health  insurance  scheme  for  the veteran artists, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government plans to increase the pension amount, if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the details of the number of veteran pension applications received from Kasargod Lok Sabha Constituency of Kerala State during the last five financial years; and
- (f) the details of the number of approved veteran pension applications during the last five years?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF CULTURE ANDTOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) to (f): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (f) of LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *92 FOR 02 nd  December, 2024

(a)    The  Ministry  of  Culture  administers  a  Scheme  by  the  name  of  'Financial  Assistance  for Veteran Artists' in its various forms with the objective to support old and poor artists aged 60 years and above who have contributed significantly in the field of art, culture and letters in their active  age  or  are  still  contributing.  Financial  assistance  under  this  scheme  is  provided  @  Rs. 6000/- per month to the selected artists of all States/UTs. However, artist pension, if any, received by  the  selected  artists  from  their  respective  State  Government/UT  Administration,  is  deducted before release of the assistance to such artists.

(b)      It  has  been  the  constant  endeavor  of  the  Government  to  make  efforts  to  help  the  veteran artists  to  receive  financial  assistance  under  the  scheme,  the  following  actions  have  been  taken during the last few years to mitigate the hardships of the beneficiaries under the scheme:

- (i) The quantum of financial assistance under the scheme has been enhanced from Rs. 4000/per month to Rs. 6000/- per month with effect from June, 2022;
- (ii) The requirement of submitting income certificate every year has now been done away with and instead it is now required to be submitted once in five years;
- (iii) Earlier,  the  applicant  artist  applying  under  the  scheme  should  have  been  mandatorily  a recipient  of  artists  pension  of  at  least  Rs.  500/-  per  month  from  the  concerned  State Government/UT Administration.  This  condition  has  been  relaxed  and  now  provides  for verification  and  recommendation  of  the  artistic  credentials  by  the  concerned  Zonal Cultural Centre (ZCC), Ministry of Culture in case the applicant is not a recipient of artists pension from the State Govt./UT Administration;
- (iv) To ensure smooth and timely disbursal of financial  assistance to the  selected  artists,  an MoU has been signed with Canara Bank on 28.06.2023.
- (c) No, there is no such proposal under consideration in this Ministry.

(d) The scheme was last reviewed in 2022 and monthly financial assistance under the scheme has been increased from Rs. 4000/- to Rs. 6000/- from 1 st June, 2022.

(e) Under  the  Scheme  for  Financial  Assistance  for  Veteran  Artists,  244  applicationswere received from Kasargod District of Kerala during last five years. However, the constituency-wise information is not maintained in the Ministry.

- (f) The number of applications approved under the scheme during last five years are follow:

|   Sl. No. | Financial Year   |   Application approved |
|-----------|------------------|------------------------|
|         1 | 2019-20          |                    411 |
|         2 | 2020-21          |                   1821 |
|         3 | 2021-22          |                   2251 |
|         4 | 2022-23          |                   1150 |
|         5 | 2023-24          |                    355 |

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