CHENNAI: From this World Book Day, April 23, onwards, commuters at Chennai Central Metro Station will be able to read and buy books at a mega book park being set up by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation (TNTBESC) at a cost of Rs 1.62 crore at the station.
Spread across 5,000 sqft, the book park will feature 40 stalls by publishers from various languages, a cafeteria, a reading space and a mini hall to host book release functions.
According to sources, a mega book park was initially planned at the location where the Anna Centenary Library is now located. However, the plan was later altered, and the library was constructed. There was also a long-pending demand of book publishers to establish dedicated book parks to exhibit and sell books.
Sources from the textbook corporation said after the present government came to power, it was looking for public spaces with high footfall to set up the book park, and the Chennai Central Metro Station was finally chosen.
The work for setting up the park began in December and. On Tuesday, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi inspected the site and instructed officials to ensure work in a fast-paced manner.
The park will have stalls of Tamil, English, and publishers from other languages. Depending on the response from the public, the government will consider establishing similar book parks in other locations.
The minister also inspected renovation work of the children’s library, conference hall, shades and roofs at the reading area at Connemara Library which is being carried out at the cost of `4.58 crore. The renovations are expected to be completed by August.