The State government has allotted a site for the construction of a building to be owned by the Regional Cultural Centre, Tiruchi. An order issued by the Commissioner of Revenue Administration, Chennai, has earmarked 20 cents of land belonging to the Revenue Department at Melur village in Srirangam Taluk for this purpose.
The new building to be constructed in the 8,710 sq. ft land will also house the Government Music School, Tiruchi and the Jawahar Bala Bhavan.
Ever since the Government Music School was started in 1997 at Tiruchi, it has been functioning in a rented building. At present, the music school is located at Thillai Nagar.
The Chief Minister had announced an allocation of Rs. 75 lakh for the construction of a building for the Regional Cultural Centre during the 2007-08 budget. Official sources told The Hindu that the blue print for the new building had been forwarded to the State government through the Public Works Department.
The new building will have separate classrooms for different courses offered by the music school that includes ‘Tavil’ ‘Nadaswaram’, ‘Bharatanatyam’, ‘Tevaram’ and Mridangam.
A total number of 72 students, mostly from semi-urban and rural pockets, are at present, attending theoretical and practical classes in courses of their choice at the school. Certificates are issued by the Directorate of Government Examination, Chennai, to the students upon completion of their three-year course.
A senior official of the Department of Art and Culture said steps had been taken to appoint a tutor to teach violin which was the latest course to be offered by the music school.
He said the Department had issued identity cards to nearly 1,000 folk artists of Tiruchi, Pudukottai, Karur, Perambalur and Ariyalur districts who had registered themselves with the Folk Artists Welfare Board.
