Amritsar, 26 Nov 2013 (Bharatsandesh News):– Every year, Punjab Govt. has been spending huge money on Bollywood stars during inaugural and closing ceremony of Kabaddi World Cups but it has not purchased a single book for the last 7 years for Public Libraries.
In a letter to Chief Minister S. Parkash Singh Badal, Dr. Charanjit Singh Gumtala , Managing Director, Punjabi Writers Co-operative Society Ltd, Ludhiana/Amritsar stated that Centre government sends matching grant to purchase books for public libraries but state government does not contribute 40% matching grant with the result 60% grant sent by Central government remain unused. Similarly Punjab government neither issued ordinance or passed “Shabad Parkash Punjab Public Library and Information Services Bill: 2011 to open library in every village.
2 years back before Punjab elections, on 10 October 2011, then Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan issued a statement that in an effort to revive people’s reading habits, the Punjab Government plans to set up 12,603 public libraries in almost all villages of the state. These libraries will be established in a phased manner. He further stated at that time that an ordinance will be passed by the state government to put the Bill into effect before the enforcement of the election code. A committee headed by him(Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan )has approved the “Shabad Parkash Punjab Public Library and Information Services Bill: 2011.” He then further stated that the government planned to set up a state central library, 22 district libraries, 141 block-level libraries, 157 town libraries and 12, 282 village libraries in a phased manner. The project will require Rs 146 crore and will take 10 years to complete .But nothing has been done in this regard. Neither bill has been passed by Punjab assembly nor has ordinance been issued.
Gumtala has appealed to the chief minister to issue immediately matching grant and also issue ordinance for the implementation of Shabad Parkash Punjab Public Library and Information Services Bill: 2011.