Rs300m earmarked for info, culture

LAHORE: The Punjab government has announced Rs300 million annual budget for the fiscal year 2019-20 for Information and Culture Department with an aim to protect and conserve the cultural heritage, promote language, arts and culture of Punjab, and dissemination of information through the media.

The Rs 300 million budgetary allocations for the year 2019-20 are far less than the 2017-18’s allocation of Rs 600 million. Nevertheless, the current fiscal year’s budgetary allocations for this highly significant sphere of national importance have been slightly increased from a meagre Rs 200 million for the previous fiscal year, 2018-19, to Rs.300 million. Only Rs100 million have been increased for this vital sector in the 2019-20 budgetary allocations than those of the previous fiscal year.

The Punjab government has set its objectives and priorities to project and promote policies of the Punjab government, protect and conserve the cultural heritage of Punjab, promote language, arts and culture of the Punjab, expansion of the existing network of arts councils, auditoriums and museums in the province, preservation and restoration of the artworks, and last, but not least, to build the government image among the masses through effective use of print and electronic media. The strategic interventions in the current budgetary allocations include construction of Bahawalpur Arts Council building.

The quantifiable targets for financial year 2019-20 include construction of two arts councils buildings. The new initiatives in the fiscal year 2019-20 to be taken by the Punjab government will be the upgrade of Sahiwal Arts Council, Sahiwal, at a cost of Rs 12 million, construction of Bahawalpur Arts Council building at a cost of Rs96.100m, upgrade and improvement of Open Air Theater, Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore, at a cost of Rs30.157m.