State to hire 737 librarians for about 1500 rural libraries

kolkata: In a bid to develop reading habit among the youths, the Bengal government is appointing 737 librarians in 1500 rural libraries across the state.The move has been taken to ensure proper functioning of the libraries in rural Bengal. "This is the first phase when 737 librarians are

getting appointed. More librarians would be recruited in the next phases," said the Mass Education and Library Services minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury.

The move of appointing 737 librarians has been taken following the intervention of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Book fairs are also going to be held in every district between November 20 and January 13. Besides, increasing the allotment to Rs 6 lakh each to organise a book fair in every district, the state government has taken up a series of unique steps to ensure that book lovers do not face any inconvenience in visiting the book fairs.

Earlier the allotment used to be Rs 3 lakh. It is the Mamata Banerjee government that gradually increased the fees to Rs 6 lakh for each district book fair. The book fair in each of the districts would take place for seven days. Additional fairs can be organised if any proposal is received from any sub-division. From this time, all stall owners have to pay the same rent of Rs 3,500 to set up a stall.

Moreover, the state government has waived off the entry fees for visitors in all the fairs.

There would be discussions and seminars on the role of Bengalis in the freedom movement and subsequent framing of the Indian constitution. "Cleanliness" will be another important issue that would be taken up for discussion. The "cleanliness", as a topic, has been selected keeping the Covid situation in mind.

In a bid to ensure that school goers - mainly of class IX to XII - can visit the book fair, the state government is also planning to make arrangements to take them to the book fairs in district headquarters free-of-cost by bus from the school premises. The Mamata Banerjee government is also providing a grant of Rs 10,000 to each of the rural libraries, Rs 15,000 each to libraries in sub-divisions and Rs 25,000 to each district library to buy new books.