Govt to open libraries in all Assembly constituencies

With non-governmental organisations set to play a key role in creating community reading spaces, the Delhi Government has planned to open libraries in all Assembly constituencies to encourage reading habits, particularly among young people from economically weaker sections.

Under the initiative, the Government proposes to set up a minimum of one and a maximum of two libraries in each of its 70 Assembly constituencies under the “Bhagidari” scheme, an order issued by the Department of Art, Culture and Language said. The libraries will operate in association with NGOs, which will be required to provide adequate space to accommodate at least 30 readers at a time, the order said. NGOs will also arrange for the display of newspapers, magazines, journals and other reading material, it said.

In the first year, each NGO will be eligible for a grant-in-aid of Rs 1.03 lakh in two equal instalments, it said.

Of this amount, 40 per cent will be earmarked for furniture and fixtures, another 40 per cent for reading material such as books, newspapers and magazines, and the remaining 20 per cent for staff honorarium, it added.

It mentioned that from the second year onwards, NGOs may receive up to Rs 40,000 annually in two instalments, it said.

Of this amount, 70 per cent will be used for the purchase of newspapers and magazines, while 30 per cent will be allocated towards staff honorarium. The grant will not exceed the budgetary allocation approved for NGOs by the Government of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, including any revised estimates.

According to the guidelines, the libraries must ensure proper cross-ventilation, healthy and hygienic conditions, and adequate electricity facilities so that they can function throughout the year. NGOs will also be responsible for providing the necessary furniture and fixtures to meet the needs of the readers.

The department said books and furniture for the libraries may also be supplied by the Delhi government under the centrally sponsored “Raja Ram Mohan Rai Library Foundation” scheme. NGOs seeking grants will be required to submit utilisation certificates, audited statements of accounts for the previous financial year and brief notes on their activities.

Any misstatement or suppression of facts could lead to cancellation of the grant and recovery of funds already released, it read.

The government has also made it clear that it will not bear any responsibility for staff employed by the NGOs.

According to the order, grants may be withdrawn if the libraries are not maintained efficiently or if funds are not used for the intended purpose.