PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has proposed to set up KP artists endowment fund for the financial support and medical treatment of deserving artists of the province.
The ‘Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Deserving Artists Welfare Endowment Fund Bill, 2021’ has once again been included in today’s agenda of the Provincial Assembly. The former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had fixed a monthly stipend of Rs30, 000 for artists, poets and singers on the bases of their contributions to art and culture. After paying the stipend for one-year, government stopped the program.
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Now a draft law for the welfare and medical treatment of artists and their families is being discussed in the Provincial Assembly today. Under this law, the artist, singers, dancers who are associated with electronic media, television, radio film and music etc for at least ten years would be able avail its benefits.
The painting artists, who have exhibited 50 paintings at any art gallery in the country will also get the benefits of the fund. Moreover, the Individuals who do not have a permanent source of livelihood in this sector and earn less than Rs900, 000 annual incomes would be able to get the benefits of the endowment fund. Parents and children of registered artists, singers, poets and dancers of the endowment fund will also be included in the endowment fund by the government.
Initially, Rs500 million has been proposed for the fund while philanthropists and NGOs working for artists would also be asked for support. In addition to the grant from the government, income from various sources will also be used for the endowment fund under the proposed law.
A formal committee will be constituted which will be headed by Minister of Culture. It will have two members from the artist community and the director general of the KP culture and tourism authority would be its member. The committee will meet after every three months.