LAHORE, Aug 18: The Board of Governors of the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture has decided to establish its offices at the Ladies Club in Bagh-i-Jinnah instead of the earlier proposed site near the Qadhafi Stadium.
At its first meeting presided over by Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, the board decided to take over the Bagh-i-Jinnah land leased to the Ladies Club. The government has already got vacated the premises from the club administration.
The proposed land earmarked for the institute near the Qadhafi Stadium was rejected by the board on the grounds that it would not be sufficient for the current requirements and expansion in future.
It is learnt that Punjab Chief Secretary Kamran Rasool had proposed that the institute could be set up in Bagh-i-Jinnah on a 16-kanal tract, which was given on lease to the Ladies Club. Now, he said, the land was not being fully utilized and primarily being used as a venue for marriage functions.
The CM remarked that the site was ideally placed and would symbolize the cultural identity of the Punjab. The board consequently decided that the land leased to the club by the agriculture department should immediately be got vacated.
The BoG asked the principal secretary to the CM and the Information Culture and Youth Affairs (IC&YA) to coordinate with the agriculture department secretary to get possession of the land for the institute.
The BoG in principle approved the appointment of M/S Nayyar Ali Dada to prepare the architectural design of the institute. As Mr Dada had prepared a design of the institute according to the smaller piece of land available at the Qadhafi Stadium, the board asked him to revise the design and outlay of the building of the institute keeping in view the dimensions of the new site.
The CM advised Mr Dada that the institute's architectural design must give a touch of 'haveli.' The BoG approved the draft bill "Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture Act 2004" for its establishment. The bill has been sent to the Punjab Assembly for its approval.
The board also approved constitution of different committees of the institute. It is learnt that non-official member Fakhar Zaman had pointed out that the draft bill did not mention that the Punjabi language would be made a medium of instruction at the primary school level.
He said Punjabi should be brought on a par with Urdu and English languages. Besides, a wing should also be established for the teaching of Sindhi, Balochi, Pushto and other languages of Pakistan.
Another non-official member, Dr Tahir Taunsvi, proposed the need for the establishment of the Punjabi Textbook Board on the pattern of the Punjab Textbook Board. Punjabi and Seraiki could not be adopted as media of instruction without preparation of their primers.
Dr Taunsvi also stressed the need to give importance to minor poets of Punjabi, Seraiki and Potohari languages belonging to far-flung areas and publish their important works.
The chief minister said the institute would take cognizance of all these proposals. The BoG approved the budget estimates of the institute to the tune of Rs20.838 million for 2004-05.
On an objection from Mr Zaman, the institute's DG said the grant-in-aid for the Punjabi writers would be incorporated in the budget estimates at a later stage. The BoG approved the administrative, executive and financial powers proposed in the working paper for the BoG's chairman, executive committee, DG and deputy director (administration) subject to the incorporation of amendments to the list of the proposed powers.
On the request of the PILAC's DG, the BoG decided that the Punjab finance department would be directed to immediately issue a revised advice wherein Rs10 million already released to the institute should be treated as grant-in-aid instead of seed money.
The board approved the selection/recruitment committee of the institute and purchase of vehicles for the institute. The BoG confirmed the appointment of Dr Shahzad Qaiser as director-general and Dr Shaista Nuzhat as director of the institute.