BHUBANESWAR : Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday launched a scheme, “Mukhyamantri Baristha Bunakar O Karigar Sahayata Yojana” for extending financial assistance to weavers, allied workers engaged in the profession and handicraft workers.
As per the scheme, women beneficiaries between 40 and 80 years of age and males aged between 50 and 80 will be given monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,000. Beneficiaries over 80 years of age will be given assistance of Rs 2,500 per month. While there are over 1.25 lakh weavers and allied workers in the state, the number of handicraft workers is over 1.5 lakh. Though there was a scheme for financial assistance of weavers and allied workers, no such scheme exists for handicraft workers. Weavers between 60 and 80 years of age were getting monthly assistance of Rs 500 while those aged over 80 years were getting Rs 700 per month.
Weavers and handicraft workers of different districts had requested 5T chairman VK Pandian for a hike in financial assistance during his visits to their areas. In order to qualify for the scheme, the beneficiaries should have been registered as weavers, allied workers or handicrafts workers in the survey conducted by director, handlooms and director, handicrafts. The income of the family should be less than Rs 1 lakh per annum. Besides, no member of the family should be government employees, getting pension or income tax payee to be eligible for the benefits under the scheme. The scheme will be implemented by the Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts department.
Besides, the chief minister also approved a proposal to increase the monthly financial assistance to artists of the state. As per the proposal, monthly assistance for the artists has been increased from Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,000 under the state government’s Mukhyamantri Kalakar Sahayata Yojana.
Artists above 80 years of age will get assistance of Rs 2,500 under the scheme. Around 30,000 more artists of the state will benefit from the hike. Already, 50,000 artists are being paid the allowance. The government targets to increase their number to 80,000. The scheme will be implemented from February and the allowance will be deposited in the bank accounts of the artists between February 20 and 25, said a release from CM’s Office. The artists had proposed 5T chairman to increase their monthly allowance during his visit to different districts. The chief minister extended his approval after the proposal was submitted to him on Wednesday.
Aid for weavers and artists
Rs 2,000 assistance for women between 40 and 80 years of age and males between 50 and 80
Rs 2,500 per month for beneficiaries over 80 years of age
Rs 2,500 for artists aged over 80 years