KATHMANDU, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prithvi Subba Gurung has said that the ministry would soon formulate a cultural policy for the first time in Nepal to conserve the cultural heritages of the country, The Himalayan Times reported on Tuesday.

    "Since the country's countless cultural heritages are suffering from negligence from both the government and the community sector, we have decided to formulate a strong policy, which will guide theoverall development, conservation and use of culture and cultural heritages," he was quoted by the daily as saying.

    He also told the daily that the Nepal Planning Commission has been convinced about the significance of a cultural policy and the Finance Ministry will also release the budget for it, adding that the policy will be ready by the end of the fiscal year in mid-July.