Thanjavur plate artisans seek government help

Chennai

Of the 250 registered artistes in the Thanjavur Art Plate Workers Association, only 50 are full time artisans, while others have switched over to carpentry. The craft has been handed down over successive generations, but the artisans say the time-consuming and detailed work generates hardly any income. “On an average, an artisan can make three or four plates a day. He earns approximately Rs 80 a plate, working between five and ten days in a month. For the rest of the month, the workers are left jobless. They are forced to borrow money at an exorbitant rate of  interest, to run their families”, said  K Selvaraj, a native of Palace area in Thanjavur where many of the artisans reside.