MUMBAI: Maharashtra’s Minister for Education Vinod Tawde on Monday inaugurated a ‘Library on Wheels’ in the ‘Deccan Queen’ and ‘Panchavati Express’ trains run by the Central Railways.
“Monthly Season Ticket holders travelling on these two intercity trains — that ply between Mumbai-Pune and Mumbai and Manmad respectively — will be ale to make use of the library. They would be able to choose books and magazines for reading and return them before alighting,” the minister said as he inaugurated the service.
Volunteers of the Marathi Vikas Sanstha of the state government’s department of Marathi Language would provide the passengers with the books and also collect suggestions made by passengers regarding the choice of books and would make changes in the service accordingly, officials in the sate government said.
The service has been jointly initiated by the Railways and the state government.
The library was startes as part of the state government’s ‘Reading Inspiration Day’ celebrations that it observes on October 15, the birth anniversary of late former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. As part of the day, a ‘Reading Hour’ was observed in the state administrative headquarters — the Mantralaya — on Monday. The minister read out a speech of late Marathi author and playwright PL Deshpande as part of the programme.
Reading Day
The onboard library is part of the state government’s initiatives during the celebration of the birth anniversary of late former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam