CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday handed over Porkizhi, a purse containing Rs 1 lakh to 10 artistes who have received the Kalaimamani award but are financially poor.
Stalin also presented financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to five authors for publishing Tamil books on rare art forms and other assistance, provided by the Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram.
The 10 Kalaimamani award winners are - Achalpuram S Chinnathambi, Aakkatti Arumugam, Nellai Sundararajan, Madurai GS Mani, AN Pakiyalakshmi, Seethalakshmi alias GM Chithiraiselvi, V Nagu, B Seethalakshmi, RS Jayalatha, and S Andrews.
Of them, six awardees received the Porkizhi from CM at the secretariat. Meanwhile, four other artistes received Rs 1.50 lakh each as assistance for staging new dramas and dance-dramas in Tamil. In all, this assistance would be given to five drama artistes and five dancers.
The government has sanctioned financial assistance of Rs 25,000 each to the legal heirs of 20 artistes as family maintenance assistance. Of them, the members of families of two artistes received assistance from the CM.