State’s decision to give monthly remuneration to folk artistes garners huge response

MP, 31 Oct 2023, KOLKATA: Bengal government’s decision to provide a monthly remuneration of Rs 1,000 to folk artistes has received a huge response as this year, fresh applications of about 10,000 folk artistes have been received. 

Senior officials of the state government said that most of the folk artistes who have applied this year stay in remote villages and they are specially trained for performing in various cultural programmes. 

They perform in programmes regularly on various occasions in the village but never get a chance to perform in the city. A senior official of the state government said: “Although they have immense talent, they could not get the desired remuneration in the districts by performing in local village functions. 

As a result, the state government’s decision to provide remuneration to the folk artistes has received a huge response.” 

The scheme — ‘Lokprasar Prakalpa’ — was launched by the department of Information & Cultural Affairs, Government of West Bengal in 2014 to revive the Folk and Tribal Culture in their respective genre across various zones and districts in the state. 

The scheme is primarily for the financially distressed rural folk artistes as identified under the laid out procedure to enlist and ensure them with alternative economic support along with scope to further their domain folk culture hence preserving the cultural heritage of different parts of Bengal. 

The main objectives of the scheme are to bestow dignity on folk artistes by issuing them identity cards to uphold the traditional folk forms of Bengal, to revive the nearly extinct folk forms of art and culture and to uplift the socio-economic conditions of artistes associated with folk culture. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/states-decision-to-give-monthly-remuneration-to-folk-artistes-garners-huge-response-538738