Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced an increase in the remuneration for artists performing in awareness programmes organised by Information and Public Relations Department to promote artists.
Patnaik has directed the concerned authorities to raise the salary for various folk arts such as daskudia, pala, horse and folk dances, and folk music. It is worth noting that the Information and Public Relations Department conducts various informational, educational, and communication programmes through folk art for the successful implementation of various schemes of the government and to create awareness about them.
According to the latest decision, increased remuneration has been announced for folk artists performing three performances for three hours in a day. The leader of the artists’ group will be paid Rs 1,000 per day and other members will be paid Rs 800 per day. In addition, the artists will be charged Rs 300 per person per day for their transportation and food.
According to the enhanced remuneration, artists performing ‘dasakarja’ drama were earlier paid Rs 200, now a two-person team will be paid Rs 2400.
Similarly, artists performing Pala were earlier paid Rs 350 and now a team of six people will be paid Rs 6,800 for one performance.
In the field of horse dance, an artiste was previously paid Rs 350, now an eight-member horse dance team will be given Rs 9,000 for one performance.
For folk dance and folk music, earlier artists were being paid Rs 400 for a performance and now a team of eight people will be given Rs 9,000 for one performance.
The Chief Minister expressed hope that this initiative will be very helpful in protecting folk art and promoting artists.
The Odisha government has taken many progressive steps to promote folk arts in the state. Since 2009, artists’ unions have been formed in the block, district, and at the state level. Folk art programmes are being organised and promoted by the State Information and Public Relations Department, Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department, and other departments.
