ROURKELA: More than 5,000 traditional artistes primarily associated with folk media in Sundargarh district are waiting for pension under the Mukhyamantri Kalakar Sahayata Yojana (MKSY), while above 7,000 fresh applications are pending consideration.
After the Mukhyamantri Kalakar Sahayat Yojana Rules 2018 were formulated, the Odia Language, Literature & Culture department regularly invites applications from poor traditional artistes for the monthly assistance.
Reliable sources in the Culture department informed that about 47,700 artistes are currently on the rolls to receive the allowance across Odisha, including around 2,200 from Sundargarh.
Meanwhile, about 5,334 more traditional artistes have cleared the final scrutiny to be eligible for the allowance but continue to wait for the monthly pension. Sources said, the department last invited application in December 2024 and over 7,000 fresh applications were received from across Sundargarh.
The applications would be taken up for scrutiny after receiving district-specific target from the department, sources said adding, these would be scrutinised which would follow with audition of artistes and then the district-level committee will finalise the eligible candidates.
Sundargarh has a rich heritage of folk art including Pala, Daskathia, tribal dance and song among other things with the traditional artistes spread across all 17 blocks of the district. Most of these artistes are poor and primarily depend on performing traditional art forms for livelihood. With earning from the traditional art performance not enough for sustenance, they also engage in agriculture activities and other odd jobs.
The district administration has, for long, been using services of these traditional and folk media artistes to propagate essential government schemes and programmes including awareness on health, road safety, election and other issues. These artistes use local culture, language and artistic expressions effectively to pass down messages to the targeted rural and urban population.
Addressing the 48th state-level Pala Sammilani in Keonjhar in December last year, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had reiterated commitment of the government to support these artistes and announced the upwardly revised pension structure. Accordingly, artistes aged between 40 and 80 years would receive a monthly assistance of Rs 3,000 instead of Rs 2,000, while allowance for those above 80 has been enhanced to Rs 3,500 from Rs 2,500.
In-charge district culture officer Nandini Mundari said the district target is likely to be received soon and added that older artistes would be given priority over younger ones in selection.