LAHORE, Nov 20: Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool on Tuesday directed the Lahore Arts Council to devise a comprehensive plan to promote the real culture in the province and to provide healthy and decent recreational opportunities to the people.

He was presiding over a meeting of the council’s Board of Governors here at the Governor’s House. He asked members of the board to promote positive activities for keeping alive the historical and cultural traditions of the city.

Recommendations regarding the presentation of religious and cultural programmes during Ramazan, spring and on March 23 should be presented within 10 days, the governor said.

He said special arrangements should be made for the encouraging new talent and the idea of establishing a training institution in this regard should also be considered.

The meeting was attended by secretaries of the provincial finance and information departments, the Lahore DCO, the Lahore Arts Council’s resident director and members of the board.

The autonomous Lahore Arts council is given an annual provincial grant of Rs10 million. This is in addition to an annual income of around Rs7.5 million and the profit from the bank deposits of another around Rs60 million.

The main activity and the source of income of the arts council has been the holding of commercial plays and renting out its halls at Alhamra at the Alhamra Cultural Complex, the Gadhafi Stadium.