TAXILA: The multi-million rupee project launched by Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PSIC) for the revival of the dying craft of black stone carving, in Taxila, has proved to be an eyewash. The stone craftsmen of the city have failed to get any patronage, promotion or training under the project, despite a lapse of more than two years.

The project was launched by the Punjab government in February 2012, entitled ‘Scheme for design, value addition and product development of stone crafts of Taxila’, for the revival of the dying art of black-stone carving in the region.

However just like other government projects, this Rs43 million project has proved to reap any benefits.

A master artisan Ilyas Khan, who has been carving stones for the last 22 years, blames the apathetic attitude of the officials of the project for not taking practical steps to save the dying art of stone carving.

He said artisans were producing antiquities, which can be put on display in museums around the globe, but the talent is being wasted.

Rashid Mehmood, another master artisan of the area, said the project staff should come out from their air-conditioned offices and start utilising the money on the project instead of spending it on procurement of new vehicles and travel allowances.

They should provide soft loans to the artists to save this dying form of craftsmanship, he added. When contacted, Project Director Ahmed Farooq said the PSIC officials had participated in a number of exhibitions including six in Lahore, four in Islamabad and one in Murree.

However, inside sources said most of the exhibitions were in Lahore because all of the staff members of the projects lived in the city.

They also claimed that no artisan was taken to these exhibitions.