Folk artists in the state would now be called government employees and help the government in taking forward its welfare schemes, Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has said.
In an interaction with folk artists here on Sunday, the chief minister showered sops on them. With an assured income every month, he said folk artists would be on the rolls of government employees.
Health insurance scheme would be extended to the family members of the artistes, Rao promised.
In the first phase, the Telangana Samskruthika Saradhi identified as many as 550 such artistes and they would receive a monthly income between Rs 11,000 and Rs 32,000.
Hailing the efforts of cultural troupes in achieving Telangana state, he said artistes shoulder huge responsibility in mobilising people’s participation for various government programmes.
“During Telangana movement, nobody bothered whether you had your food or not. You suffered in hunger, yet you never gave up singing. But today the TRS government will make you a part of the government, because it is the artistes who stood their ground in achieving Telangana,” he declared to an applauding crowd.
The role of artistes in taking forward the government initiatives and schemes was more than that of ministers in the State Cabinet.
Highlighting that the government has immense respect for artistes, the chief minister said the cultural troupes visiting districts would be travelling with police protection and would stay in government guest houses.
“Because you speak to people in their language, in their slang and bring about a change in the society. You are the torchbearers of poor people in the society,” he announced.
According top priority to Mission Kakatiya programme, he asked cultural troupes to tour all districts in the state. He said the government was chalking out grand plans to celebrate the first anniversary of Telangana Formation Day on June 2 and asked them to be prepared for the grand event.
He also instructed officials of the culture department to design street plays, skits as a part of the programme.
Source: The New Indian Express