Lok Sabha Question No. 1025 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-29
Subject: Scheme for Financial Assistance/Pension for Veteran Artists
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1025 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.07.2024

## SCHEME FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE/PENSION FOR VETERAN ARTISTS

## 1025. SHRI SANJAY UTTAMRAO DESHMUKH:

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

- (a) the  details  of  number  of  applications  received  under  Vriddh  Kalakar Pension Yojana from Yavatmal Washim district of Maharashtra during the period 2018 to 2024;
- (b) the number  of  applications  approved  out of the total applications received; and
- (c) the  details  of  the  special  provisions  made  under  the  said  scheme  to support the livelihood of veteran artists?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM

## (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a)&(b)  The  Ministry  of  Culture  administers  a  Scheme  by  the  name  of 'Financial  Assistance  for  Veteran Artists'  under  which  financial assistance upto Rs. 6000/- per month is provided to veteran artists aged  60  years  and  above  having  annual  income  not  exceeding Rs. 72,000/- who have contributed significantly in their active age or are still contributing in the field of arts, letters etc. but due to old age are unable to generate a steady income. However, the financial assistance being provided to the artists under the scheme is not any kind  of  pension  in  the  conventional  sense  governed  by  CCS (pension) rules.

Applications received, recommended and approved from Yavatmal & Washim  Districts  of  Maharashtra  under  the  scheme  during  the period 2018 to 2024 are annexed.

- (c) 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 be 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  also 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.

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Annexure Annexure referred in reply to part (a)&(b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred

## Question No. 1025 due for answer on 29.07.2024

| Year    | Applications Received   | Applications Received   | Application Recommended & Approved   | Application Recommended & Approved   |
|---------|-------------------------|-------------------------|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
|         | Yavatmal District       | Washim District         | Yavatmal District                    | Washim District                      |
| 2018-19 | 1                       | 0                       | 0                                    | 0                                    |
| 2019-20 | 16                      | 1                       | 4                                    | 0                                    |
| 2020-21 | 2                       | 0                       | 2                                    | 0                                    |
| 2021-22 | 13                      | 7                       | 6                                    | 5                                    |
| 2022-23 | 30                      | 13                      | 6                                    | 3                                    |
| 2023-24 | 97                      | 10                      | 6                                    | 0                                    |
| Total   | 159                     | 31                      | 24                                   | 8                                    |

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