COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore district administration has completed renovation works of 76 Anithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam (AGAMT) libraries which will start functioning soon.
According to official sources, the State government built around 250 libraries across the district at the cost of Rs 3.75 lakh in 2009. Village panchayats were responsible for the maintenance of these libraries and the employment of a librarian with a monthly honorarium of Rs 750.
But after functioning for two years, most of these facilities stalled due to the shortage of funds. After the constant demand from various readers circle, the government ordered the renovation of AGMAT libraries. In the first phase, 76 libraries have been renovated in the Coimbatore district and the remaining 150 libraries will be renovated in the second phase.
Library Readers' Circle (Udumalaipettai) president K Leninbarathi welcomed this move. "State government should bring libraries, which are currently managed by village panchayats, under the control of the Directorate of Public Libraries for effective functioning," he added.