The Hindu : Govt's. aid policy irks cultural institutions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 26, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

Govt's. aid policy irks cultural institutions

By K.N. Venkatasubba Rao

Bangalore Feb. 25. The Government's decision to discontinue its grant-in-aid code and grant-in-aid facilities extended to eight well-known cultural institutions is likely to kick off a row.

A contentious debate seems inevitable unless the Government clarifies its position and formulates concrete parameters for allocating annual grants in keeping with its financial position, according to sources.

The Government, of late, has realised that only a handful of cultural institutions are getting large sums from the Government, as they come under the grant-in-aid code and grant-in-aid category, while a number of other cultural institutions engaged in similar activities do not get any aid.

In an effort to set right the anomaly and in view of its bleak financial position, the Government recently decided to rescind the grant-in-aid code and grant-in-aid status for these institutions and issued an order to that effect.

The Government has clearly stated that it took the decision following a large number of representations it received from cultural institutions seeking grants.

The objective of the Government's decision is to extend monetary assistance to more of the existing cultural institutions within its limited financial resources. It has also decided not to extend annual financial grants to any new cultural organisation.

The Bangalore-based Adarsha Film Institute, Vijay Film Institute, and the Heggodu-based Ninasam Rangashikshana Kendra have been getting annual financial assistance of Rs. 13.30 lakh, Rs. 11.75 lakh, and Rs. 12.70 lakh, respectively, under the grant-in-aid code. The Kannada Sahitya Parishat, which has its head office in Bangalore, Nataka Karnataka Rangayana (Mysore), Vidyavardhaka Sangha (Dharwad), and the Karnataka Janapada Parishat (Bangalore) have been getting an annual sum of Rs. 38 lakh, Rs. 40 lakh, Rs. 6 lakh, and Rs. 15 lakh, respectively.

The Keladi Museum and Historical Research Centre in Shimoga is the eighth institution getting aid from the Government under the grant-in-aid scheme.

These institutions are governed by a set of service rules framed by the Government and get assistance for administrative needs such as payment of employees' salary. The minimum annual grant starts from Rs. 5,000 but is not uniformly applied to all the institutions being given assistance.

Many of the cultural institutions wonder what yardstick is applied to decide the amount of annual grants. Some institutions are eligible for handsome amounts while others receive a meagre sum, they charge.

"The Government gives an annual grant to over 400 cultural institutions. Its decision to withdraw the status of grant-in-aid code and grant-in-aid with immediate effect and continue to extend financial assistance for 10 years with specific conditions such as audit certification appears innocuous only at the superficial level. Where is the need for it to continue with its financial commitments and just get rid of the technical terms associated with the nature of the grants? In what way is it possible for the Government to help more institutions by doing away with the grant-in-aid code and grant-in-aid status? It expects increased productivity whenever its money is involved. But how is it going to quantify productivity in the cultural context? The Government may justify its approach because a couple of institutions or individuals behind such institutions reportedly worked against it. But the Government should have applied a different yardstick for reputed institutions such as Ninasam and Keladi Museum," the sources told The Hindu.

Although the Government has promised that the financial assistance will continue for 10 more years, some institutions are apprehensive about the Government's next move. "The Government should come out with concrete parameters in the absence of a cultural policy," the sources say.

But, government sources argue that the continuation of aid for 10 years is in itself a concrete assurance and there need be no room for any apprehension.

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