The foundation stone laying ceremony for a public library in Rajiv Nagar has been put off due to COVID-19.
A library set up by 62-year-old Syed Ishaq in Rajiv Nagar was destroyed in a fire earlier this month and the government had planned to start construction of a full-fledged library at the same spot on World Book Day on April 23.
The postponement of the function was following a decision taken by the State against holding any foundation stone laying ceremony or inaugural function, which attract a large number of people, for at least the next two months. An announcement in the regard had been made by Minister for Revenue R. Ashok.
“We had to put off the function due to COVID-19. A fresh date has not yet been fixed”, said Manjunath, Deputy Director of Public Libraries, Mysuru.
The Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) and Department of Public Libraries will jointly be taking up construction of a library out of their own funds.
While MUDA had promised to complete the formalities for allocating about 5,000 sq. feet of land at the spot, the construction of the library will be taken up Nirmithi Kendra.
Meanwhile, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Suresh Kumar said the Department of Public Libraries will donate 8,243 books to the library.
He said a decision for donating books to the library was taken soon after learning about the destruction of Mr. Ishaq’s library in the fire. Also, Mr. Suresh Kumar said a proposal had been sent to Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation in Kolkata to provide financial assistance to the library to be constructed in Mysuru.
Meanwhile, donations in the form of books continued to pour in from other quarters as well. Responding to a call given by Chairman of University of Mysore’s Department of Studies in Political Science Muzaffar Assadi, a large number of donors from different parts of the country and abroad had begun shipping books to help set up the library.
Mr. Assadi told The Hindu that he had received several cartons containing books despatched from different locations. The cartons were yet to be opened. A second hand book stall owner too had contacted him evincing interest to donate books. “The response has been huge and the campaign is continuing”, he said.
