LAHORE, Oct 4: The Lahore Arts Council Ordinance, 2002, has been promulgated, giving powers to the governor to appoint chairperson of its board of governors.

It is meant for giving a legal cover to the ‘autonomous status’ of Alhamra given two years ago by amending the Punjab Council of the Arts (PUCAR) Regulations 1982 which was challenged by the finance department earlier this year.

The objection of the finance department was that Alhamra was still a part of the PUCAR created under an act of 1975.

The promulgation of the ordinance was announced by LAC Executive Director Shabbir Ahmad at a news conference here on Friday, claiming that it was drafted by him.

However, another main aspect of the new law is that the chief executive of the LAC shall be the ‘executive director’ whom the government shall appoint ‘ordinarily for a period of three years which may be extended if deemed appropriate.’

He shall act as the ‘senior purchase officer for procurement of stores’ in terms of the purchase manual, and the secretary of the board of governors, the new ordinance says.

Previously, the members of the board used to elect chairperson for one year. The tenure of the executive director, always a government official, was only one year.

According to the new ordinance the 16-member board of governors shall be appointed by the governor for three years from a penal of 24 people having some accomplishment in the field of art or of an artistic disposition and interested in the promotion of art and culture. No non-official member shall be appointed for two consecutive terms.

The chairperson and the members shall hold office during the ‘pleasure’ of the governor. A non-official member may be removed by the governor if his conduct is ‘prejudicial to the interest of the council’ or ‘who is guilty of grave misconduct’. Those removed shall not be reappointed.

The chairperson and all members shall work in an honorary basis and shall not be paid any remuneration. The chairperson shall be provided an office with staff and one telephone for official use by the council.

The governor may curtail the tenure of the board and may ‘make such arrangements as deemed appropriate’ to manage the council.

The board shall act as a resource and provide vision in the light of the chartered functions of the council ‘leaving the routine work to the functionaries of the council,’ formulate policies to promote art and culture and approve budget and development schemes of the council.

It shall frame rules for various aspects of management of the council like contributory provident funds, recruitment, and promotion, and approve financial and other cases not within the competence of the executive director or the chairperson. It shall meet once in three months.

The accounts of the council shall be ‘jointly’ operated by the executive director and an accounts officer to be appointed by the department on the recommendations of the finance department.

Pending framing of rules relating to various matters such as recruitment, promotion, discipline, the government rules on the subject shall be applicable to the council.

The government may frame rules to carry out the purposes of the ordinance and, the council shall make such regulations as it may deem necessary for carrying out the provisions of the ordinance into effect.

Meanwhile, the executive director said that with the promulgation of the ordinance the controversy regarding Alhamra’s ‘autonomous’ status had been resolved.

He said the new board of governors would soon be named. The new academy of performing arts would soon start functioning and ultimately become a university.