August 11, 2014
Jobs for folk artistes in North Bengal
The state government's information andcultural affairs department has planned to ensure employment for poor folkartistes and has asked all district officers to start enrolling themimmediately for execution of the plans. The objective of the project is toprovide financial assistance to the artistes belonging to the weaker sectionsby engaging them in campaigning of government's plans and projects. The statealso plans to save traditional folk cultures.
Following the instructions, the districtinformation and cultural affairs (I&CA) department in North Bengaldistricts have started enrolling such artistes in a new application format.
It may be noted that the state had providedfinancial assistance of Rs 750 per month to folk artists who are above 60 yearsin 2013. But this year, the state plans to give them Rs 1000. A folk artiste,who is below 60 years and will work for the government's programmes, will begetting Rs 1000 per month as remuneration.
The state has decided to offer all of themequal jobs so that an artist gets to work for at least four days a month. Folkartists in parts of North Bengal have been presenting two cultural items ineach block once a week. District officials have been organizing 28 programmesonce a month. To provide employment for the artistes, the number of programmesmay be increased on various new schemes and awareness agendas. A total of 635folk artistes were enrolled from the undivided Jalpaiguri earlier.
Around 900 folk artistes from the undividedJalpaiguri district have applied and all applications are under process. Allartistes associated with various cultural items, including Boirati Nritya, Chor-Chunni Nach, Mursia and those who perform folkdrama and songs in Sadri and Rajbanshi languages have been selectedfor campaigning for the government's programmes.
