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Libraries cry for attention, funds
As many as 572 branch libraries and village libraries, located in rural and urban areas, are facing serious problems due to fund crunch as the civic bodies are not depositing the library cess with the Grandhalaya Samsthas.
Hyderabad: As many as 572 branch libraries and village libraries, located in rural and urban areas, are facing serious problems due to fund crunch as the civic bodies are not depositing the library cess with the Grandhalaya Samsthas.
According to sources in the Directorate of Public Libraries, this has resulted in the public libraries not being able to purchase even a single book during last three years. But, the State government had decided to appoint 31 chairmen for the District Grandhalaya Samsthas (DGS), the district level apex bodies, which oversee the functioning of the public libraries.
The chairmen would get handsome salaries and perks. Speaking to The Hans India, a senior official from the Directorate of Public Libraries (DPL)said that the three libraries located in Hyderabad, Nizamabad and Warangal had been funded directly by the State government.
All other branch libraries and village libraries which function under the District Grandhalaya Samsthas, should get funds from the 8 percent library cess collected from the people as part of the property tax.
There is a specific provision mandating civic bodies to deposit the library cess within one month of collecting the property tax. However, none of the civic bodies follow the same resulting in piling up of pending dues to the library fund. The library cess should be spent on purchasing books and development works of the libraries, the official pointed out.
In addition to the financial problems, the posts which fell vacant following retirement of staff were not been filled for more than 10 years. And, there is no change in the situation even after the formation of the new State. Adding to the woes, the State government had appointed 31 DGS chairmen with Rs 50,000 salary and an equal amount in the form of perks to oversee public libraries being run by outsourced staff with a meagre salary of about Rs 5000 or by lower rung of staff like attenders.
Further, except expressing sympathy MLAs, MLCs and MPs from the ruling as well as opposition parties had been shying away when asked to provide funds from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for taking up minor works like construction of toilets, procuring tables and chairs, the sources added.
The Telangana Library Association (TLA) president Prof L Lakshmana Rao said that TLA has been representing the issues being faced by the public libraries to the authorities concerned and expressed the hope that the State government would take urgent steps in improving the conditions.
By V R C Phaniharan
