Libraries in city cry for attention

The popularity of mobile phones has overshadowed the love people had for books, and to rekindle this affinity among residents, the city needs more libraries and reading spaces. Sadly, the existing libraries are in bad shape and those in the pipeline are yet to come up.

In 2023, the state government had announced it would open six libraries in each constituency and Rs 64 lakh were allocated to each constituency for this. However, to book lover’s dismay, not even a single library has been set up so far. It was only last year in November that the foundation stones of two public libraries were laid in the Ludhiana Central constituency. The two libraries, costing around Rs 26.50 lakh, will be established at Ghoda Colony and near the MC Zone-B office.

“Establishing a library in Ghoda Colony is a step towards promoting reading culture among children and more such projects would be taken up in future,” said MLA Ashok Prashar Pappi.

Rs 8.80 crore was allocated by the government recently for the redevelopment of Rose Garden, including plans for renovation of infrastructure, landscaping, state-of-the-art lighting, ornamental poles for ambiance and enhanced security. Sadly, there was no mention of a plan to upgrade one of the city’s oldest libraries, which is situated inside the Rose Garden. This library is crying for attention. Mayor Inderjit Kaur, however, said that while the Rose Garden was being upgraded the library would also get an uplift.

This library was built in 1985 and is currently in a shambles with damp walls, broken furniture, and nearly 5,000 books left to decay. The building has multiple leakages, and during rains, water seeps into the building. No new book has been purchased for the library in three decades and most visitors here are senior citizens.

Avtar Singh, a visitor at the Rose Garden library, said the library was a treasure trove of books, but was left to decay. Instead of a library it is just a storehouse with stacks of old books lying unattended. Except newspapers and magazines, nothing new is added to this library.

Priyanka Sharma, a book lover from the city, said, “Kids are losing interest in books and reading. Unfortunately, there are no proper reading rooms or libraries in the city for those who wished to read. Reading clubs should be opened to inculcate the habit of reading, especially among the younger generations,” she said.

Ludhiana