The Punjab government has decided to set up an Artists Social Support System (ASSS) in the province for artists who need socioeconomic support to survive.
The support system will provide financial grants and social protection to artists may otherwise have to face unfavourable circumstances. The Punjab government has already released Rs 50 million in grants to 137 registered artists belonging to the province. The grant will be distributed in next 48 hours.
This was revealed by Punjab Minister for Information, Excise, and Taxation Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman while presiding over a meeting about the ASSS at the Alhamra Arts Council on Wednesday.
The meeting discussed the launch of the ASSS and termed it an important milestone towards the welfare of the artist community. The minister said that the Punjab government was committed to supporting the artist community and with the launch of the ASSS, numerous artists living in tehsils and districts across the province will be able to lead respectful lives and thus promote art and culture.
He said that Punjab is rich in culture and it was commendable that Punjabi artists were fully committed to their craft. The minister added that deserving artists would be issued Khidmat Cards to benefit from the fund. He also directed that the artists should be included in the prime minister’s health card scheme so that they could benefit from excellent healthcare facilities without being burdened.
