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Good news for artistes

BHUBANESWAR: For artistes and writers of the State, here is a reason to rejoice. The State Culture Department has enhanced the cash award for the four highest honours of the State offered by the three Akademis and the department. It has also decided to double the number of pensions being offered to the artistes. Sources in the department told The Hindu that Culture Minister Surya Narayan Patro had approval of the additional allocation of funds from the Finance Department here on Tu esday. Accordingly, the cash awards for the Atibadi Jagannath Das award for literature, Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja award for performing arts, Dharmapada award for fine art and Jayadev award for cinema were enhanced from Rs.25,000 to Rs.50,000 with effect from the current fiscal year, the sources informed.

The three awards, considered the State’s highest honour for pioneers in the respective fields, are being presented by the Orissa Sahitya Akademi, Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi, Orissa Lalit Kala Akademi and the department of culture respectively.

In a significant development, the department also resolved to hike the cash award of Rs.10,000 to Rs.25,000 for all other annual Akademi awards, it was learnt.

Responding to the continuing demand for increase in the number of pensions for artistes in diligent conditions, the department decided to double the number to 1000. Each of the pensioners will receive a monthly financial assistance of Rs.500.

The department on Tuesday also decided to launch two new courses - textiles designing and animation studies - in the Utkal University of Culture, the first institution of its kind in the country, from this academic year, informed the sources. The courses are being designed to groom the students for self-employment, they added.

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