Naveen Announces Monthly Pension Of Rs 1200 For 50000 Artists

Bhubaneswar: In a historic step, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday announced monthly pension of Rs 1,200 for 50,000 artists in Odisha.

“The state government has decided to reduce the age limit for
providing pension to the artists. The age limit for male artistes has
been reduced from 60 to 50 and for women artists from 50 to 40,” the
Chief Minister said after a meeting at the state secretariat here.

The responsibility for disbursal of pension to artists have been
given to the concerned district administrations for smooth management
of the same and make identification process of artists more easier,
he stated.

Art and culture are the identities of the state. Artistes have been
playing a significant role in promoting the art and culture of Odisha.
The government is committed to their welfare and upliftment, he added.

Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi and secretaries of different departments attended the meeting.