KARACHI, Sept 19: Every year the local government earmarks a certain sum of money for the construction of Aiwan-i- Riffat, but at the end of the financial year it either allows the fund to lapse or let it be appropriated for other projects.

In June, the city government allowed Rs5 million allocated for the construction of Aiwan-i-Riffat to lapse. The same sum was earmarked for the next year, but there is little doubt about the fate it will meet.

Addressing a pre-referendum rally on April 28, 2002, President Gen Pervez Musharraf had announced a grant of Rs25 million for the ill-fated project. Two years on, the president secretariat has yet to release the funds.

At the same public meeting, the president announced an identical sum for the Arts Council. The fund was later released. According to city government officials, so far over Rs50 million have been spent on Aiwan-i-Riffat.

They add that the engineering department could figure out what amount of money would be required to get the project up and running. They point out that originally the project was planned to cost Rs80 million.

According to them, the engineering and works department has been asked to prepare the estimates for the remaining construction work. They recall that the construction work on the project started in 1991 but came to a complete halt in 1998.

It is worth noting that at least three main development projects, including Tameer-i-Karachi project and the Khushhal Pakistan project, started in the city over the years have allocated no funds for the construction of Aiwan-i- Riffat.

According to them, Aiwan-i-Riffat will house a Fyzee Rahamin Art Gallery where some 50 paintings of Fyzee Rahamin will be put on display. The Fyzee Rahamin Art Gallery on the ground floor will also feature personal effects of Attiya Begum and Fyzee Rahamin including coins from various countries, medals, specimens of calligraphy, handwritten copies of the Quran, jewellery and royal attires will also be on display.

Sources point out that at present these precious objects are gathering dust as the authorities concerned have made no arrangements to keep them in a proper manner pending the completion of Aiwan-i-Riffat.

In early 1970s the personal effects of Attiya Begum were shifted to the Denso Hall. Afterwards the authorities concerned moved the objects to the under-construction building in the Burnes Garden.

Another art gallery on the ground floor of Aiwan-i- Riffat will display paintings by masters enabling art students to learn from their invaluable works. Aiwan-i-Riffat will also house a three-storey auditorium with a seating capacity of 1,800.

Furthermore, a fine- arts library will contain books on drawing, painting, textile designing, industrial arts, folk arts, graphics, calligraphy, music and architecture. The library will also have book written by Attiya and Fyzee. According to the proposed plan, the basement will contain a car park, workshops, store and a guard room.