CHENNAI : Minister for Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture, K Pandiarajan on Monday, announced that a State Manuscript Mission would be launched, to document the palm leaf manuscripts being collected from across Tamil Nadu.
The minister said Rs 60 lakh would be sanctioned for this purpose. Replying to the discussion on the demands for grants for his department - art and culture, museums and archaeology - the minister said the manuscripts in possession of individuals as well as private organisations, would be protected, indexed and documented.
Pandiarajan said modern surveillance cameras would be installed at the excavation sites and their branch offices where inscriptions, documents and antiquities were kept, to ensure their safety. For this purpose, Rs 32 lakh would be sanctioned. The minister said to encourage folk arts and folk arts groups, Rs 5,000 would be given to 500 folk artistes, and 100 folk arts groups would get Rs 10,000 for buying musical instruments, costumes and ornaments.