The Hindu : National : A colony for the Kolkata artists after Durga Puja

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Wednesday, Sep 13, 2006
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A colony for the Kolkata artists after Durga Puja

Antara Das

KOLKATA: With less than three weeks left for Durga Puja, the artists in Kumartuli, the traditional home of the image-makers in North Kolkata, face the anxiety of not just meeting deadlines but the possibility that they may have to relocate soon.

"The Union Government has agreed in principle to the Rs. 27-crore project," said Ashok Bhattacharya, West Bengal Minister for Municipal Affairs and Urban Development. The project, which includes the development of permanent structures for the artists' colony, will come under the Basic Services to the Urban Poor scheme, which is part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

Mr. Bhattacharya said the State Government was looking for a suitable site for the temporary warehouses that will house the artists, their families and provide space for their workshops. "The Centre is expected to approve the plan... this month," he said. "The artists' would be rehabilitated after the puja [season], while the reconstruction work in the original area would start sometime in February."

"Once approved, the Centre will bear 50 per cent of the cost, while the other 50 per cent will be shared by the State Government and the beneficiaries," Mr. Bhattacharya said.

Those engaged in the business of crafting idols are well aware of the need for development. Ranjit Sarkar, one among the 525 artists who work here, says: "A few spells of rain play havoc in these areas, as the narrow streets get waterlogged and slippery due to the presence of clay and straw, the raw materials for making images." To add to the misery, the sculpting is done in ramshackle sheds, with only a polythene sheet as protection from the elements. It sure is good news for the artists.

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