Question : PENSION TO ARTISTS

(a) the name of the scheme(s) under which financial assistance/pension/ honorarium is provided to the artists/persons renowned in the field of literature and other similar fields and the names of artists benefitted under the scheme during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise along with the criteria fixed and guidelines laid down to get the benefits;

(b) whether the Government has received applications from artists/recommended by the State Governments including Karnataka and Kerala for providing financial assistance/pension to them under the scheme;

(c) if so, the details thereof and the reasons for their pendency during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;

(d) the details of the steps taken so far to clear all the said applications and the time by which all the pending applications are likely to be cleared; and

(e) whether there is any proposal for enhancing the pension amount and if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF CULTURE (SMT. CHANDRESH KUMARI KATOCH)

(a) Ministry of Culture administers a scheme namely, ‘Artistes Pension Scheme and Welfare Fund’. List of artistes benefitted under the Scheme during the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise is available on the website of the Ministry of Culture (www.indiaculture.gov.in) at the following URL: indiaculture.nic.in/indiaculture/pension-grant.html.

(b) to (d) Yes, Madam. The applications are received in the Ministry and sometimes directly in the Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs). After the verification of these cases by ZCCs, the verified cases are put up for consideration before the Experts Committee constituted for this purpose. During 2011-12 and 2012-13, a total of 3045 (including 756 from Karnataka and 137 from Kerala) cases were considered and 534 (including 195 from Karnataka and 46 from Kerala) were recommended by the Experts Committee. In the recent meeting (December, 2013), 5088 cases received after verification were put up to the Committee. The Experts Committee’s recommendations will be finalized shortly and pension released to the selected artistes thereafter.

(e) No, Madam. There is no such proposal.