Annual festival: Information ministry refuses grant to Lok Virsa

Event will focus on provincial harmony and national integration

ISLAMABAD: Information and Broadcasting Ministry has refused to give supplementary grant to the Lok Virsa management for holding their annual folk festival, ‘Lok Mela’. Sources from the ministry have said that Lok Virsa asked for a grant of Rs10 million for its folk festival scheduled from November 2-11, to which ministry officials replied that the folk festival’s management has been told that under a frugal policy, supplementary grant cannot be approved.

Therefore, Rs5 million will be given instead of Rs10 million. Lok Virsa Executive Director has said that as compared to the past, rents of commercial stalls have doubled this time to increase the income of the festival and reduce the burden of expenses.

Federal Minister Dr Fehmida Mirza will inaugurate the festival while Federal Minister of Information and Broadcast Fawad Chaudhry will attend the concluding ceremony. Pavilions of all four provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir will be set up in the festival.

The 10-day folk festival "Lok Mela" will focus on provincial harmony and national integration highlighting the contributions of our people in building the country’s future. Senior officials of Lok Virsa stated that the 10-day folk festival is expected to start from November 2 at Garden Avenue Shakarparian. The officials said that in this regard all preparations are being finalised to make the festival more entertaining and attractive for the visitors.

The Lok Mela start from 10am to 10pm to experience the colours and warmth of diverse cultures from all over the country. Provincial pavilions, food courts, musical theaters, kid corners and displays of arts and crafts as well as traditional heritage from every corner of Pakistan will be available at Garden Avenue, Shakarparian.

A musical evening representing every province will also take place on all 10 days of the festival in the Open Air Theatre at 7pm which will be streamed LIVE on our website: www.lokvirsa.org.pk. Senior officials of Lok Virsa said that the 10-day festival aims to revive endangered folk arts, crafts and music as well as to promote and safeguard traditional practitioners associated with Pakistan's folk heritage. It would serve to promote the dynamic creativity of our countryside and give locals a pride in their identity. Hundreds of master artisans, folk artists, rural musicians and folk dancers from all over Pakistan including remote and far-flung regions will participate in the festival, bringing with them their creativity in arts, crafts and innovation and win the recognition of their talent at a national level. The festival will conclude with a colourful ceremony on Nov 11. (WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP)

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2018.