BANGALORE: Kannada Book Authority (KBA) chairman G.S. Siddaramaiah has urged the Government to formulate a stringent policy to streamline its book-purchasing scheme.

He told presspersons here on Monday that evolving a well-defined policy had become imperative to check irregularities in the purchase of books and regulate duplication of publications from many government-sponsored publishing agencies, including academies and universities.

The Government has earmarked an annual grant of Rs. 50 lakh a year for purchasing books through the KBA. It can purchase copies totalling Rs. 6,000 of a title selected by the committee specially constituted for the purpose. According to the Government's estimate, 3,000 books are published in Kannada each year by both government and private publications. In the absence of a firm policy, the committee finds it difficult to differentiate between genuine and counterfeit titles. The KBA will organise a State-level seminar on the need to evolve a foolproof policy on book purchasing, he said.

Further, since 2003, the KBA has not been able to purchase books on wholesale basis. As the Government has sanctioned an annual grant, the KBA will invite applications for purchasing books published in 2005. Prof. Siddaramaiah has urged the Government to release Rs. 1.50 crore for the purchase of books for the years 2003-2005, prior to his assuming the chairmanship of the KBA.

Sales outlets

Prof. Siddaramaiah said that the KBA was planning to open sales outlets for its publications in all the districts in addition to the 11 existing ones. It would select, as it did earlier, eligible unemployed youth to run these outlets after collecting a caution deposit of Rs. 20,000 for each. The Government would provide each sales unit Rs. 1,200 towards rent and an equal amount towards maintenance expenses for each outlet, he said.

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation has agreed to let a stall in its bus stands in all district headquarter cities for this purpose, subject to availability.

The Syndicate Bank has offered to provide furniture free of cost.

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