KARACHI, Nov 19: The Sindh department of culture and tourism spent Rs6.45 million during 2003-04 on nine functions organized to promote Sindh culture. This was stated by Minister for Culture and Tourism Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani in response to a question asked by Mohammad Idrees Siddiqui during question hour in the Sindh Assembly on Friday.

Out of the Rs6.45 million, the biggest amount of Rs2.5 million was spent on M/s Zeenas Communication's 'Mother of Nations Blessings Award 2003', followed by Rs1.5 million that was spend on organizing Jashn-i-Baharan in Lahore and Rs1 million on the Urs celebration of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, the minister said.

Giving details of other expenditure, the minister gave the following figures: Rs0.5 million on All-Pakistan Music conference; Rs0.25 million on All-Pakistan Shah Abdul Latif conference; Rs0.2 million on the Urs celebration of Hazrat Sachal Sarmast; Rs0.4 million on the Urs celebrations of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar; Rs0.5 million on Marvi Melo at Mithi in Tharparker; and Rs50,000 paid to the Sindh Fankaar Welfare Trust.

In response to a question raised by the same member, the minister said that the Sindh Tourism Development Corporation was trying to establish rest houses at different locations in the province to attract tourists. Renovation was being carried out at the existing facilities, he added.

Mr Qaimkhani said that in the budget 2004-05, a sum of Rs5 million had been allocated to the department and a major chunk of the amount had been spent on salaries of employees and office expenses.

He said that the provincial government had approved Rs38.998 million for the establishment of a music academy at Karachi Arts Council during 2002-03 for the revival of traditional folk art and promotion of the artists.

In response to Mohammad Rafique's question, the minister told the house that the social welfare department had been devolved to the city government. However, the defunct directorate of social welfare at the headquarters was declared 'the office of provincial coordinator of social welfare department' for coordinating purposes at provincial level.

Revenue Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh told the house, in reply to a question by Syed Javed Hussain Shah, that the land revenue on cultivated area of agricultural land had been abolished since Kharif 1999 vide Sindh Land Revenue (Abolition) Ordinance 2000.

However, he added, land tax, water rate, local cess, drainage cess, mountain fee and on-farm water management, which are known as Jamabandi items, were assessed and collected on cultivated area.

During the year 2000-2001, Rs22.918 million was collected while in the following years the revenues stood at Rs20.026 million, Rs 17.578 million and Rs11.806 million, respectively.

Replying to a question of Dr Mehreen Razzak Bhutto, Mr Qaimkhani, who also holds the ministry of social welfare, said that there were four Darul Aman institutions functioning under the community development department of the local governments of Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana.

As on July 31, 2004 the strength of inmates at these institutions was as follows: Karachi 102, Hyderabad 52, Sukkur 39 (including 10 children) and Larkana 45 (including 18 children). The minister clarified that no untoward incident had been reported from any of these institutions.