The Hindu : New Delhi News : Culture Ministry should decentralise schemes: panel

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Monday, Aug 18, 2008
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New Delhi

Culture Ministry should decentralise schemes: panel

Anita Joshua

NEW DELHI: The Bhaskar Ghose Committee, set up by the Union Culture Ministry to review and restructure its schemes, has called for decentralising the administration of these programmes. It suggested grading of artists and cultural organisations for speedy decision-making, particularly for disbursal of grants.

The committee said the schemes directly administered by the Ministry should be implemented through Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs). While the Central sector character of the schemes should be retained, the ZCCs should be allowed to select beneficiaries and distribute grants. The Ministry should set up expert committees for each zone for making selections.

For grading artists, the Bhaskar Ghose Committee has suggested that the Ministry constitute a national-level Coordination and Monitoring Committee comprising experts in various fields. Besides grading artists, this Monitoring Committee will recommend names of experts for the setting up of expert panels for the zones. Also, it will review implementation of schemes.

According to the Bhaskar Ghose Committee, the process of receiving applications should be a continuous one for all schemes, except fellowships and scholarships.

Barring fellowships and scholarships, the Ministry should do away with the system of advertisements and instead provide detailed information about the schemes on its website.

The Committee has also recommended certain modifications in the existing schemes along with across-the-board increase in their financial component; particularly for scholarships and fellowships. Under the scheme for Assistance to Professional Groups, the Committee has suggested that the salary grant ceiling be raised from 20 artists and one guru to 25 artists and one guru. In the case of artists, the per-month grant should be upgraded from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 6,000 and doubled from Rs. 5,000 for the guru.

Production grant

As for the Production Grant to Professional Groups, the ceiling of Rs. 1 lakh should be increased to Rs. 5 lakh a year per production. Similar upward revision in the financial component has been suggested for ‘Assistance for Building Grants’. For building, the ceiling of Rs. 15 lakh should be raised to Rs. 25 lakh. However, the equipment grant remains static at Rs. 2.5 lakh.

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