CUTTACK: The Biswanath Pandit Central Library here will soon be shifted to Badambadi. The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has identified a patch of land near Angul bus stand at Badambadi for construction of the building of the library which will not only sport a new look but also have modern facilities.
The library was demolished to pave way for shifting of Badambadi bus stand to Khannagar. “We have identified a piece of land measuring 3.75 acre near Angul bus stand and prepared a blueprint for construction of building and modernisation of Biswanth Pandit Library at a cost of `20 crore,” said CMC Commissioner Ananya Das.
The new library building will be well-ventilated and have facilities like e-library and a spacious reading hall where 500 readers can be accommodated comfortably while adhering to social distancing norms. The library will have separate seating and reading spaces for senior citizens and women, toilets and parking place, said Das.
This apart, new books will be purchased and the e-resources of the library strengthened by maintaining records by names of authors of books and their locations on computer to facilitate hassle-free search of books. Das said the land earmarked for the library is owned by Odisha State Road Transport Corporation.
A proposal with detailed blueprint in this regard has been sent to the State government for approval, she said, adding efforts would be made to ensure the construction is completed within six months.
The Biswanath Pandit Central Library was started in 1981 at Saheed Bhawan in the city. It was shifted to Khannagar in 1998. The library at present has a stock of around 60,000 books. The library was demolished during an eviction drive for construction of a new city bus terminal.