Deputy Chief Minister S.B. Amzath Basha has announced that the government is keen on giving a makeover to libraries and make them the gateway to knowledge for the future generations.
He formally launched the 52nd National Library Week celebrations at the District Library here on Thursday, commemorating Ayyanki Venkatramanaiah, who is hailed as the Father of Library Movement. He recalled Ayyanki’s role in hosting the national library convention in Madras on November 14, 1919, which led to libraries getting due attention from society.
However, the libraries were in a shambles and the present generation was moving away from the book-reading habit, the Deputy Chief Minister said, and appealed to the public to once again start the habit of visiting libraries to gain knowledge. “In tune with modern day requirement, the government will also strive to establish digital libraries. The regional libraries in Pulivendula and Kamalapuram will get new buildings at a cost of ₹36 lakh each and a new library is coming up at Siddavatam with ₹20 lakh,” he announced. He later garlanded the statue of freedom fighter Gadicherla Hari Sarvothama Rao on the premises.
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Joint Collector M. Gouthami called books a person’s greatest companion and urged students to develop the habit of reading in their free time. Joint Collector II Siva Reddy said the libraries in Kadapa, Proddatur, Rajampet, Jammalamadugu, Kodur and Veerapunayanapalle had been provided with internet facilities.