The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will be converting many of its hitherto under-utilized community centres and halls as libraries and reading rooms in a move that will benefit thousands of students in particular, apart from senior citizens and residents of national Capital at large.

A senior DDA official, on Thursday, said that five such community centres including one in Rajendra Nagar have already been identified and works for these community centres to be converted into modern library / reading room facilities replete with all necessary means is progressing fast.

“The move comes after Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena asked DDA to provide library / reading room facilities to students, in the wake of the tragic incident of loss of three young lives due to drowning in the basement reading room of a private coaching centre in Rajendra Nagar in July this year.  Saxena, who had visited the site immediately in the aftermath of the tragedy, had met the protesting students there and assured them that he will do everything possible to address the issue of exploitative reading room facilities and charges being faced by them, at the earliest,” he said.

In a statement, the DDA said, “The LG had thereafter convened a meeting with the officers of DDA and asked them to identify community centres inside or close to the students’ hubs spread across the city, that could be converted into libraries / reading rooms for use by students.”

It added that works had started in full swing at the Rajendra Nagar Centre and were supposed to be completed by December 20.  “However, due to GRAP restrictions, it was delayed and is now expected to be completed by the end of this month,” it said. 

 These upcoming facilities at Rajendra Nagar, Adhchini, Vikaspuri, Sector-16B Dwarka and Rohiniwill consist of a library, reading rooms with required furniture, a small cafeteria and a small gym.

 While the centre at Rajendra Nagar will serve thousands of students in the Rajendra Nagar-Patel Nagar-Karol Bagh coaching hub, the one at Adhchini will cater to the needs of students in the JNU, Katawaria Sarai, Ber Sarai and IIT Delhi area.  The Centres at Rohini, closer to North Campus, Vikaspuri and Dwarka will cater to the needs of not only the students in the vicinity, but also senior citizens, who often find space constraints deterring their basic needs.

 “As per directions of the LG, DDA will undertake the responsibility of civil infrastructural and furnishing of these libraries and reading rooms, Universities will be asked to run them.  Books will be sourced through various sources including CSR and philanthropy while the cafeteria and gymnasium will meet the other necessary requirements of students visiting these facilities,” the statement added.