Gandaki Province has allocated Rs5 million in the running fiscal year to establish an academy for the conservation, promotion and development of language, literature, art and culture.

The province has also allocated an additional Rs10 million for the academy in the upcoming fiscal year.

The draft of the academy bill has reached the Ministry of Financial Affairs but the provincial government has not heard from the ministry yet.

The academy, when established, will be under the Ministry of Social Development.

“The bill will be presented in the facilitation committee formed to formulate law after the Ministry of Financial Affairs passes the bill,” said Dirgha Narayan Paudel, spokesperson for the Ministry of Social Development.

A task force formed under Professor Yadunandan Upadhyay has already submitted a draft to the province’s Minister for Social Development Naradevi Pun.

“We have prepared the draft after discussing with all the stakeholders, including writers and intellectuals. The draft includes people from literature, arts and music backgrounds,” said Upadhyay.

However, poet Tirtha Shrestha said that Rs10 million will not be sufficient to open the academy.

“We have to appoint at least six employees and set up the office and other infrastructure,” said Shrestha.