State to extend financial aid to folk artistes under Lok Prashar Prakalpa
Kolkata: Despite financial constraints, the Mamata Banerjee government has ensured financial assistance to 1.90 lakh folk artistes under Lok Prashar Prakalpa.
The artistes will be receiving entitled benefits of two months at a time as per the direction of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The 1.90 lakh beneficiaries also include 32,000 folk artists who are above 60 years of age.
Under the scheme, the elderly folk artistes will receive a pension of Rs 1,000 each per month. Remaining of the total beneficiaries will also get monthly retainership of the same amount every month. Lok Prashar Scheme has been implemented by the state Information and Cultural Affairs department.
Each of the 1.90 lakh beneficiaries has received Rs 2,000 for the month of April and May. Now, the process to give the same for the months of June and July to 32,000 aged folk artists has begun and the amount will be directly transferred to their account in three days' time. While the same for remaining beneficiaries, who receive it as retainership, is in the pipeline..
The benefits of the month of June and July together are getting transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. Earlier, the benefits of the month of April and May were transferred together.
"Leaving no stones unturned, all steps have been taken up to ensure that the money gets transferred to bank accounts of the individual beneficiary," said an official of the state secretariat adding that it will not take more than three days time to complete the same and they can receive the same by the end of this week.
In the first phase, the state government had brought as many as 84,720 folk artistes under the scheme. Later, another around 1.20 lakh folk artistes were brought under the same.
It was one of the dream projects of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and it had helped in reviving many art forms in the state. Many of the beneficiaries are from Amphan affected areas as well and the financial assistance is helping all of them in this critical time, the official said.
