Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar inaugurated Punjab’s first literary museum at Majlis-e-Taraqqi-e-Adab on Tuesday and announced a plan to launch an Urdu e-reader with access to 10,000 books.
The chief minister also laid the foundation stone of an e-library block and inaugurated an ‘Adabi Baithak’ and a tea-shop for writers.
Talking to the literati present on the occasion, the CM said several steps had been taken for the welfare of writers and poets, adding that membership cards were being issued to them by the Board for Advancement of Literature to provide financial assistance through the writers’ welfare fund.
He said the writers would get books at subsidised rates besides accessing the antique books of the board. They would also be able to benefit from any of the writers’ welfare schemes, he repeated.
The CM said UNESCO had declared Lahore a city of literature and a literary park was also being established in the city.
He said awards would be given to selected books of poetry and prose under the aegis of the Board for Advancement of Literature every year. Awards will also be given for the best piece of prose, poem and ghazal.
The chief minister said the government was going to launch the first Urdu e-reader comprising of t10,000 books initially, to promote the language.
Similarly, a library of manuscripts would be established where five copies of each document would be preserved and they would be accessible online, he added.
The CM took keen interest in items belonging to Allama Iqbal and other poets and intellectuals displayed at Lahore Literary Museum.
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Punjab Culture Minister Khayal Ahmad Kastro, Special Assistant Hasaan Khawar and the board’s Director Mansoor Afaq were also present.
The secretary for information and culture briefed the CM about the initiatives to promote literature.
Meanwhile, on the direction of Chief Minister Buzdar, a letter has been sent to the chief secretary to ensure the recitation of Durood-e-Ibrahimi before the national anthem and after the recitation of the Holy Quran in morning assembly in schools.
Meanwhile, the chief minister announced while speaking to a delegation of business leaders that he would hold meetings with office-bearers of all the chambers of commerce and industries across the province.
The delegation led by former president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry Anjum Nisar discussed with the CM problems of traders and industrialists. Provincial Industries Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, secretaries of industries and environment departments, MD of WASA and other officials were also present.
The CM assured the delegation of solving genuine problems.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 1st, 2021.
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