Elderly performers in Karnataka's Haveri district, who dedicated their lives to enriching the state's cultural fabric, are now battling severe financial distress. This hardship stems from inordinate delays, often stretching to three or four years, in receiving their monthly government pension.
A Lifeline Delayed, A Life in Distress
The Kannada and Culture Department offers a monthly pension of Rs 2,500 to senior artistes who meet specific criteria. To be eligible, artistes must be above 58 years of age and have a minimum of 25 years of service in any art form. For many aging performers, this sum is critical for meeting basic survival needs.
However, artistes allege a systemic failure in timely disbursement. Even after an application is approved, the pension payments are frequently delayed by three to four years. Furthermore, payments for the last four months are reportedly pending for many existing beneficiaries. The artistes have urgently appealed to the department to simplify its procedures and ensure pensions reach them on time.
A Cumbersome Process and Its Human Cost
The application journey itself is a marathon. Artistes submit their documents to the Kannada and Culture Department, after which local officials verify and forward them to the respective state academies for art forms like Yakshagana, folk theatre, drama, and music.
The academies then conduct interviews, a process that alone consumes one to two years. The files then move to a state-level pension committee for final approval. A senior artist from Haveri lamented that many receive the pension so long after applying that they have nearly forgotten about it.
The human impact of these delays is profound. Most applicants are poor, elderly, and struggling to survive. Many depend on the kindness of others for medicines, hospital bills, and even bus fares. Several are battling serious health issues, while those in rented accommodations say they cannot afford their rent. Artistes expressed deep anguish that the government, which should ensure dignity in their twilight years, is instead causing immense distress.
Tragically, there have been instances where artistes spent their final days bedridden, waiting for a pension that never arrived in time. They demand a simplified process so they can spend their last years with some peace and financial security.
Recent Approvals and a Long Queue Ahead
There is a glimmer of progress for some. Across Karnataka, around 800 pension applications from the 2021-22 and 2022-23 financial years have now been approved. These beneficiaries are expected to start receiving pensions within the next one to two months.
In Haveri district specifically, 411 artistes are currently receiving pensions, with a total of Rs 1.1 crore disbursed monthly. Recently, 54 applications from the district (27 each from 2021-22 and 2022-23) have been approved.
"Of the applications submitted two to three years ago for artistes' pensions in Haveri district, 54 have been approved, and funds will be released soon," confirmed Veerayyaswami Hiremath, Assistant Director of the Kannada and Culture Department in Haveri.
However, this relief is limited. Officials acknowledge that hundreds of applications submitted after 2023 are still under review and may take another two years for approval, perpetuating the cycle of uncertainty for a new wave of aging cultural custodians.
