Parliamentary panel backs Culture ministry’s demand for higher allocation

NEW DELHI : Miffed at the tight-fisted approach of the government with respect to allocation of funds to the Ministry of Culture, a Parliamentary panel has called for an increased allocation, saying the culture imparted identity to the people and was the soul of the nation.
“The Committee is at a loss to note that allocation has been reduced in almost all sectors, which has adversely impacted archaeology, museums, libraries and other important organisations under the Ministry,” the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture said in its report on Demand on Grants of the Ministry of Culture.
“Culture imparts important identity to a nation. In the development paradigm, culture plays a crucial role in the life of a nation. Therefore, preserving, protecting, and promoting our rich cultural heritage assumes greater significance, for which the Ministry must get adequate allocation.
The Committee is of the firm view that with the existing scale of allocation, even the existing schemes and activities of the Ministry will be difficult to run,” the Committee said.
“Therefore, the Committee strongly recommends that the Ministry should actively pursue the matter of increasing the allocation at the revised estimates stage in the current financial year, with the Ministry of Finance,” the Committee added. Even the Non Plan Allocation of the Ministry, the Committee believes, does not inspire confidence as the success of Plan activities largely depends upon the Non Plan activities, the Committee said while “strongly” endorsing the request put forth by the Ministry of Culture to the Ministry of Finance.
Urging the Ministry to pursue actively the matter of filling up of posts without delay with Union Public Service Commission(UPSC) and Short Service Commission, the Committee noted that the existence of large number of vacancies and lack of adequate manpower, particularly in the Archaeological Survey of India(ASI), will certainly adversely affect the regular upkeep, maintenance, protection and preservation of our cultural heritage.
Parliamentary panel backs Culture ministry’s demand for higher allocation New Delhi, Dec 6 (UNI) Miffed at the tight-fisted approach of the government with respect to allocation of funds to the Ministry of Culture, a Parliamentary panel has called for an increased allocation, saying the culture imparted identity to the people and was the soul of the nation.
“The Committee is at a loss to note that allocation has been reduced in almost all sectors, which has adversely impacted archaeology, museums, libraries and other important organisations under the Ministry,” the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture said in its report on Demand on Grants of the Ministry of Culture. “Culture imparts important identity to a nation. In the development paradigm, culture plays a crucial role in the life of a nation. Therefore, preserving, protecting, and promoting our rich cultural heritage assumes greater significance, for which the Ministry must get adequate allocation.
The Committee is of the firm view that with the existing scale of allocation, even the existing schemes and activities of the Ministry will be difficult to run,” the Committee said. “Therefore, the Committee strongly recommends that the Ministry should actively pursue the matter of increasing the allocation at the revised estimates stage in the current financial year, with the Ministry of Finance,” the Committee added.
Even the Non Plan Allocation of the Ministry, the Committee believes, does not inspire confidence as the success of Plan activities largely depends upon the Non Plan activities, the Committee said while “strongly” endorsing the request put forth by the Ministry of Culture to the Ministry of Finance. Urging the Ministry to pursue actively the matter of filling up of posts without delay with Union Public Service Commission(UPSC) and Short Service Commission, the Committee noted that the existence of large number of vacancies and lack of adequate manpower, particularly in the Archaeological Survey of India(ASI), will certainly adversely affect the regular upkeep, maintenance, protection and preservation of our cultural heritage. (PTI)

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