ISLAMABAD, Feb 28 (APP): The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, in its meeting here Tuesday, approved budgetary proposals relating to Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) of National Heritage and Literary Heritage Division (NH&LH) and its attached departments for the year 2017-18 amounting to Rs.845.465 million. The proposals would be forwarded to the M/o Planning and Reforms and Finance Division for inclusion in the Federal Budget for year 2017-18.
Chaired by Pir Muhammad Aslam Bodla, MNA, the meeting was apprised that National Heritage and Literary Heritage Division had demanded allocation of Rs.845.465 million for its 20 new projects that mainly pertain to construction of Auditorium at National Academy of Letters, preservation of National Heritage and up gradation of existing infrastructure at National Library, Braille Press, Iqbal Academy and Mazar-e-Quaid.
The Committee was apprised that four projects of the Pakistan Academy of Letters, National Book Foundation, Department of Archeology and Urdu Dictionary Board, respectively were ongoing and would be completed in the current fiscal year upon grant of budgetary allocation.
The Chairman and Members of the Committee lauded the futurist headship of Irfan Siddiqui as head of the NH&LH Division and a renowned literary personality and expressed their optimism that the departments under his administration would flourish. The Committee was surprised to note that the subject of Pakistan Chairs in foreign universities and National Archive Center and Lok Virsa and Pakistan National Council for Arts were presently under the administrative control of Cabinet Division and Information and Broadcasting Division, respectively, therefore, recommended to the Government to transfer the same to National Heritage and Literary Heritage Division owing to their relevance with the NH&LH Division.
The Committee supported the proposal of Construction of Pakistan Park in the peripheral area of Mazar-e-Quaid that would depict national cultural and cohesion. The Committee also directed the Division to submit report of inclusion or non-inclusion of the PSDP budgetary proposals in the federal budget within thirty days of the Committee’s recommendation required under rule 7 of rule 201 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007.
The meeting was attended by Irfan Siddiqui, Advisor to PM on National History and Literary Heritage, MNAs Pir Muhammad Aslam Bodla, Malik Shakir Bashir Awan, Muhammad Tallal Chaudry, Mian Muhammad Farooq, Waseem Akhtar Shaikh, Tahir Iqbal Ch, Ms. Ghulam Bibi Bharwana, Ms. Parveen Masood Bhatti, Ch. Muhammad Tufail, Syed Amir Ali Shah Jamote, Imran Zafar Leghari, Ms. Belum Hasnain, Murad Saeed, Dr. Muhammad Azhar Khan Jadoon, Malik Muhammad Aamir Dogar, Ms. Naeema Kishwer Khan, Secretary NH&LH Division and heads of the concerned departments.
Ihsan/APP/anm/ VNS Islamabad
