PNCA, Lok Virsa complain about ‘low’ budget allotment
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) and Lok Virsa have been allocated Rs51.641 million for the upcoming fiscal year against their combined demand for Rs62.8 million.
This sum has been allocated for four ongoing projects, which include establishment of a Centre for Performing Arts and National Theatre in Islamabad, the creation of a database of paintings and a preservation laboratory for damaged paintings at the PNCA and a National Folklore Ensemble Project at Lok Virsa.
Director-General of PNCA, Tauqeer Nasir said: “The PNCA has to look after most of the national and international cultural activities [but] we will have to manage [within our resources].”
The three PNCA projects were launched in 2009 and currently are in early stages of completion.
“We have already acquired land for the Centre [for Performing Arts/National Theatre] and hope that the speed of work will increase in 2010-11,” Nasir said.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has allocated seven acres of land for the centre near Shakarparian in Islamabad, according to PNCA website.
Once completed, it will have a theatre hall with a seating capacity of 1,200 and a multimedia hall that will be able to seat up to 450 people at a time. The total cost for the centre has been estimated at Rs300 million and will be completed in three years. This year, PNCA was allocated Rs32.71 million against a demand of Rs45.1 million for the project.
The other two projects at PNCA have also been allocated lesser funds than demanded. The preservation and database projects have been allocated Rs8.231 million, each.
The National Folklore Ensemble project at the Lok Virsa has been allocated Rs2.469 million, which is up from its last year’s budget of Rs0.8 million, which was used to get lights and sound system for the project.
Javed, Lok Virsa’s Executive Director, said the project was aimed at promoting cultural activities in the country. “Choreographers will train youngsters from all over the country over a period of six months at the Lok Virsa.”
These youngsters will be trained with a number of folk dances from all over Pakistan, including the Chap dance from Balochistan, Dhamal from Sindh, Ghorda Ghatka from Multan and Khattak dance from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
“The idea is to get these youngster familiarised with all of the dances so that they do not restrict themselves to their own native dances,” Javed said.
Javed added: “We need an additional sum of Rs1 million to install proper security equipment at Lok Virsa. He said that the ministry has assured them to accommodate their demand, adding that he hoped that the ministry would help us solve the security problem of Lok Virsa.” The current security measures are extremely inadequate as they do not have proper equipment such as scanners and metal detectors, he said.
Published in the Express Tribune, June 14th, 2010.
The Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) and Lok Virsa have been allocated Rs51.641 million for the upcoming fiscal year against their combined demand for Rs62.8 million.
This sum has been allocated for four ongoing projects, which include establishment of a Centre for Performing Arts and National Theatre in Islamabad, the creation of a database of paintings and a preservation laboratory for damaged paintings at the PNCA and a National Folklore Ensemble Project at Lok Virsa.
Director-General of PNCA, Tauqeer Nasir said: “The PNCA has to look after most of the national and international cultural activities [but] we will have to manage [within our resources].”
The three PNCA projects were launched in 2009 and currently are in early stages of completion.
“We have already acquired land for the Centre [for Performing Arts/National Theatre] and hope that the speed of work will increase in 2010-11,” Nasir said.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has allocated seven acres of land for the centre near Shakarparian in Islamabad, according to PNCA website.
Once completed, it will have a theatre hall with a seating capacity of 1,200 and a multimedia hall that will be able to seat up to 450 people at a time. The total cost for the centre has been estimated at Rs300 million and will be completed in three years. This year, PNCA was allocated Rs32.71 million against a demand of Rs45.1 million for the project.
The other two projects at PNCA have also been allocated lesser funds than demanded. The preservation and database projects have been allocated Rs8.231 million, each.
The National Folklore Ensemble project at the Lok Virsa has been allocated Rs2.469 million, which is up from its last year’s budget of Rs0.8 million, which was used to get lights and sound system for the project.
Javed, Lok Virsa’s Executive Director, said the project was aimed at promoting cultural activities in the country. “Choreographers will train youngsters from all over the country over a period of six months at the Lok Virsa.”
These youngsters will be trained with a number of folk dances from all over Pakistan, including the Chap dance from Balochistan, Dhamal from Sindh, Ghorda Ghatka from Multan and Khattak dance from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
“The idea is to get these youngster familiarised with all of the dances so that they do not restrict themselves to their own native dances,” Javed said.
Javed added: “We need an additional sum of Rs1 million to install proper security equipment at Lok Virsa. He said that the ministry has assured them to accommodate their demand, adding that he hoped that the ministry would help us solve the security problem of Lok Virsa.” The current security measures are extremely inadequate as they do not have proper equipment such as scanners and metal detectors, he said.
Published in the Express Tribune, June 14th, 2010.