The State government is taking multi-pronged steps to upgrade gram panchayat (GP) libraries in Karnataka to attract more children to borrow and read books and also enhance the role of library supervisors. To achieve this, the government has launched a slew of programmes that will increase the importance of awareness centres of GPs.
Aimed at creating enthusiasm and hope to rural children, the government has launched programmes such as “Let’s Go to Home of Reading,”, “Let’s Play Chess Campaign,” “Read Aloud Campaign,” “A Book for Mom,” “Letter Writing Campaigns,” “Chinnara Chittara” and “Bring Your Friends to the Library”, among others.
In addition, a “Reading Light” programme was launched to foster the habit of reading even during vacations and holidays, with the support of the Department of Education, Azim Premji Foundation, Bharatiya Gyan Vigyan Samiti and Shiksha Foundation. Children aged between 6 and 18 can become members of the library and can also borrow books and take them home to read. A total of 46,89,220 children are registered in libraries as of now, said Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) and ITBT Minister Priyank M. Kharge.
Digital libraries
He said action has also been taken to digitise gram panchayat libraries using the 14th and 15th Finance Commission grants or gram panchayat resources. So far, 5,494 digital libraries have been set up, he said. Among these, 678 equipped Beacon Libraries have been set up, the Minister said.
After the entire management of gram panchayat libraries was transferred from the Department of Public Libraries to the gram panchayats of the RDPR, there has been a marked development in the functioning of gram panchayat libraries and information centres, he said.
Out of 5,895 GP libraries, 4,895 of them have been provided grants for renovation of old buildings, rooms, shelves for storing reading materials, necessary furniture and new collection of books and periodicals.
VDA for library supervisors
Considering the role of the library supervisor as important, a Government Order (GO) has been issued to pay the gram panchayat library and information centre library supervisors monthly minimum wages and variable dearness allowance (VDA) with effect from September 04, 2023. This is in addition to the monthly minimum wage. The GO states that the VDA has to be paid from time to time as fixed by the Labour Department.
The monthly minimum wage has been fixed at ₹16,382.52 with an additional allowance of ₹1,542 totalling to ₹17,924.52 per month, stated a release from the Minister’s office.
