BENGALURU: The state government will bring library supervisors under minimum wages, announced Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday, inaugurating 6,599 new libraries in villages and rural areas under the Arivu Kendra programme. With this, the state will have around 12,500 rural public libraries.
“Knowledge development is not possible only through schooling. Learning outside of school is also necessary. Because of Dr Ambedkar’s Constitution, communities that were deprived of literacy for thousands of years got an opportunity to get education. Going to libraries is a great hobby,” the CM said on the occasion of National Librarian Day. “The nation will be celebrating its 78th Independence Day, however, 100% literacy is yet to be achieved and we need to hard work in that direction,” he added.
The new libraries will be set up with a grant of Rs 263.96 crore under the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department. Books worth Rs 2 lakh have been purchased from the National Book Trust of India for each new library. Furniture and digital equipment too will be provided at these libraries. The Azim Premji Foundation is donating children’s books to these libraries.
Minister for RDPR and IT-BT Priyank Kharge said, “Arivu Kendras are inclusive of every member of the community and are centred around important activities such as the intellectual development of children, improving literacy, bringing school dropouts into the mainstream, and generating awareness on education among adult school dropouts.”
Under the Oduva Belaku campaign, children aged 6 to 18 have been provided library membership, allowing them to borrow books to read at home. A total of 48,57,351 children have been registered across Gram Panchayat libraries throughout the state.