ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has granted formal approval of additional financial measures for the welfare and up lift of poets and writers, disclosed Irfan Siddiqui, Advisor to the Prime Minister on National History and Literary Heritage.
“The implementation on these welfare oriented initiatives would take place from the next financial year,” said Irfan Siddiqui , while talking to media men here on Friday. It is pertinent to mention here that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, at the inaugural session of the fourth International Writers Conference that was held in Islamabad in the previous month, had announced various steps regarding the welfare of poets, intellectuals and writers.
Mr. Siddiqui stated that PM has accorded approval for the provision of additional resources to implement these steps and amount shall be allocated in the next budget for this purpose. He said Life Insurance scheme for writers has been extended from 354 to 700 individuals and from the next financial year seven hundred writers would benefit from this facility. Family of a writer received Rs. One Lakh in case of natural death and Rs. Two Lakh in case of accidental death, however after the approval of PM, the amount has been enhanced in these two categories, from 1 Lakh to 2 Lakh on natural death and Rs. 2 lakh to 4 lakh on accidental death, he added.
Advisor to PM said the number of deserving writers, who benefit from the financial assistance on monthly basis, has also been increased. “Previously 500 writers were benefitting from the scheme and were drawing Rs. 5000 monthly. From the next financial year 1000 deserving writers would start receiving Rs. 13 thousand per month,” Irfan Siddiqui explained.
The Advisor informed that 20 awards would be given on books written in National as well as Regional Languages annually through Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL). 11 such awards were being given previously, however number of these awards has been extended in order to facilitate and encourage new authors including women and youth.
Prime Minister has also given formal approval of Intizar Hussain Award, which would be awarded each year with a Rs. 1 million cash prize, in the name of great novelist and fiction writer of Pakistan Mr. Intizar Hussain, who died last year. INP
