On the day of Silpi Day, the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Assam announced the Silpi Award for the year 2023-24. Accordingly, silpi pension to 62 artists of the state, pension to the families of 11 artists, annual silpi award to 149 artists (Rs. 50,000), annual silpi award to 10 specially abled artists and ekkalain samman to the families of ten late artists have been awarded.
The artists who have received the silpi’s pension for the year 2023-24 are Rajani Patgiri, Bhagiram Das, Uttam Barman, Padmadhar Basumatary, Achyut Oza, Hariram Pathak, Pabitra Talukdar, Lakheshwar Saikia, Atul Das, Tilak Das, Binapani Nath, Devyani Das, Hariram Gosai, Drona Bhuyan, Drona Bhuyan, Jyotsna Dutta, Maheshwar Deka Gopal Bora, Bhogiram Hazarika, Nityaranjan Borthakur, Someshwar Kalita, Khargeshwar Nath, Nagen Kalita, Biren Chandra Kalita, Mahendra Dauka, Rita Mahalia, Shanta Ujir, Madhav Sharma, Hiren Bora, Ratan Das, Girija Das, Dhiren Barua, Mukut Bora, Pakhila Lengthepi, Nirmal Basumatary, Rabin Das,Namoram Bora, Dhaniram Dutta, Tiken Das, Purneshwar Barua, Surendra Kakati, Lalit Baruah, Bhadreshwar Das, Mahadev Das, Yadav Chandra Deka, Harekrishna Talukdar, Ghanakanta Dutta, Hiru Borthakur, Kalpana Kalita, Gopeshwar Goyala, Jyoti Hazarika, Mangal Singh Daimary and Luit Das.
The artists who received family pension are Gajen Rajkhowa, Prabhat Chandra Bora, Pramod Chandra Roy, Kulendra Nath, Kiran Shankar Roy, Baldev Saikia, Atul Goswami, Rontu Bagchi, Naresh Biswas, Chandra Hans Sinha and Arun Das.
Apart from this, ten differently abled artists have been presented with the Annual Artist Award. They are Narayan Chandra Ojha, Manik Bordoloi, Kamal Mahanta, Anup Malakar, Ranjit Sharma, Bhavesh Das, Gopal Khakhlari, Nirmal Basumatary, Jyoti Sharma and Montu Kamal Baruah.
Apart from this special assistance has been provided to the families of ten late artists. They are Pushpa Kanta Bora, Hem Chandra Bujarbaruah, Khagendra Bhuyan, Nikin Barman, Gadadhar Kalita, Bhairab Barman, Bhubaneswar Mohilary, Tarakeshwar Chakraborty, Kishore Giri and Gyanendra Pallava Barua.
Meanwhile, a one-time assistance of Rs 50,000 has been given to 149 artists including artist Sadananda Gogoi. However, Sadananda Gogoi refrained from taking this help out of feeling humiliated.