The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Centre and the State to take note of a representation sent by a petitioner seeking financial assistance to folk artistes and provide assistance to them.
A Division Bench of Justices T.S. Sivagnanam and S. Ananthi took note of the fact that the representation was being considered by the authorities. The petition filed by M. Selva Kumar of Thoothukudi district was disposed of with the direction. The petitioner said that the folk artistes in the State were suffering financially and were unable to perform due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
The government had announced financial assistance to the folk artistes. But, it was provided only to those who were members of an association. The assistance of ₹1,000 was not sufficient. Even this amount had not reached many of the folk artistes, the petitioner said.
He said that he sent a representation to the authorities to fix financial assistance of ₹10,000 to the folk artistes and ensure that ₹1,000 announced by the government reached them.
The authorities should conduct a survey, identify the folk artistes and issue identity cards to them so that the distribution process was smooth. It must be ensured that the benefits reached them, he said.
