The State Government has chosen nine indigent artistes hailing from Karur for receiving a monthly honorarium of Rs. 1,000, according to Collector J. Uma Maheswari.
The selections have been made for the current year's list of recipients, she said at a function organised here to mark the 12th anniversary of the Government Music School on Monday.
While the artistes would receive the money for the rest of their life, their spouses would continue to get the amount till their death, she pointed out adding that the State Government was pretty much interested in the welfare of the artistes and exponents.
Besides, three poor children practising bharatanatyam would be provided financial support for conducting their arangetram , Dr. Maheswari said.
Computer centre
The Collector also said that the National Bal Bhavan Trust, New Delhi, has granted Rs. 2.25 lakh for establishing a computer centre for the benefit of Jawahar Bal Bhavan members in the district. The centre would come up very shortly, she added.
A 15-day summer camp would be conducted under the aegis of the Jawahar Bal Bhavan in Karur for kids wherein various art forms and skill development schedules would be featured, she observed.
On the occasion, Dr. Maheswari handed over three thavils, five nadaswarams, two sruti boxes and Bharatanatyam ornament set to outstanding students who passed out successfully from the Government Music School during the current year.
The total worth of the gifts was Rs. 50,000.
The Collector assured the artistes that efforts would be taken to construct a new building to house the Government Music School at the site handed over to the Department of Art and Culture for the purpose.
Till then an alternative building good enough to accommodate the artistes and classes would be found, she said.
Assistant Director of Art and Culture R. Gunasekaran called upon the artistes to utilise fully the various welfare and benefit schemes being sanctioned to the members of the Folk Artistes Social Welfare Board.
The artistes in Karur district could either approach the Government Music School or him directly to avail themselves of the benefits, he added.
