Mumbai: Ahead of local body polls, the state govt approved a grant of Rs 25,000 each for 1,800 bhajani mandals across the state. The state govt issued a govt resolution (GR) giving approval to provide a subsidy for the purchase of musical instruments like harmonium, mridangam, pakhawaj, veena, tambura, ektari, tal, and other ancillary materials to bhajani mandals. In the first phase, financial approval is being given to 1,800 bhajani mandals at the rate of Rs 25,000 each, and a total amount of Rs 4.5 crore has been approved by the tourism and culture department, said officials.“It was decided to celebrate Ganeshotsav as a state festival. Financial assistance has been provided to art troupes with the aim of encouraging the preservation of all folk arts of Maharashtra, to make them known to the next generation, and to preserve all traditional folk arts in Maharashtra. By increasing the provision of capital grant to bhajani mandal troupes, administrative approval has been given to provide grants for the purchase of musical instruments required by 1,800 bhajani mandals like harmonium, mridangam, pakhawaj, veena, tambura, ektari, tal, and other ancillary materials in the first phase,” an official said.“The director, directorate of cultural affairs, will be solely responsible for ensuring that the model code of conduct for local body elections is not violated while organising these programmes. After the completion of the programme, the director should submit a compliance report to the state govt along with a utilisation certificate detailing the expenditure of the programme within one month,” the official said.Last month, after the urban development and planning departments, the social justice department doled out funds across all districts in the state for works under the Babasaheb Ambedkar Social Development Scheme ahead of local body polls. The state govt released 10% of the funds allocated under the scheme in the state budget. The state govt allocated Rs 2 crore per district under the scheme for providing basic facilities to Scheduled Castes (SC) and Neo-Buddhist communities in urban and rural areas. Political observers said that the move could be an attempt to woo the community ahead of the elections.“The scheme was initiated to provide basic facilities to the SC and Neo-Buddhist communities in urban and rural areas. The works to be taken up in the scheme have been increased by including places related to eminent persons working for the SC and Neo-Buddhist communities, as well as developing places of cultural and historical importance, erecting their monuments, and bringing about cultural development with projects like library, study centre, dhamma centre, vipassana centre, and training centre,” an official said.
