NH&LH, attached departments: NA body approves budgetary proposals

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage has approved budgetary proposals relating to Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) of National Heritage and Literary Heritage Division (NH&LH) and its attached departments to the tune of Rs 845.465 million for the financial year 2017-18. The proposals would be forwarded to the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms and Finance Division for their inclusion in the federal budget for the year 2017-18.
The committee chaired by MNA Pir Muhammad Aslam Bodla thoroughly discussed and scrutinised the budgetary proposals relating to PSDP. The committee 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 Mazaar-e-Quaid.
The committee was also informed that four projects of Pakistan Academy of Letters, National Book Foundation, Department of Archeology and Urdu Dictionary Board are ongoing and would be completed in the current fiscal year upon grant of budgetary allocation. The committee also stressed upon the Ministries of Planning and Finance to allocate budgetary grant for upkeep of Mazaar-e-Quaid.
The chairman and members of the committee lauded Irfan Siddiqui as head of the NH&LH Division and expressed their optimism that the departments under his administration would flourish. The committee was surprised to note that subject of Pakistan Chairs in foreign universities, National Archive Center, Lok Virsa and Pakistan National Council for Arts were presently under the administrative control of Cabinet Division and Information and Broadcasting Division, and it 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 Mazaar-e-Quaid that would depict national cultural and cohesion.