Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
New Delhi: Working on a project to convert many of its under-utilised community centres and halls into libraries and reading rooms, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has started developing four more facilities into reading centres. The authority hopes to make them operational for the public by the end of May.
At a recent meeting to review the progress, lieutenant governor VK Saxena was informed about the overwhelming response at the first such facility, Aarambh Pustakalaya, at Old Rajendra Nagar. Officials also said the construction of the libraries at Adhchini village, Sector 16B in Dwarka, M Block Vikaspuri, and Sector 11 in Rohini was at an advanced stage. They will have space for a cafe.
In July 2024, LG had asked DDA to provide library and reading room facilities to students following the death of three civil service aspirants due to drowning in the waterlogged basement reading room of a private coaching centre in Rajendra Nagar.
“Saxena, who visited the site immediately in the aftermath of the tragedy, met the protesting students there and assured them that he would do everything possible to address the issue of exploitative reading room facilities and charges being faced by them at the earliest. Thereafter, a meeting was convened with DDA officials, and they were asked to identify community centres inside or close to the students’ hubs that could be converted into libraries,” said an official.
The first such centre was inaugurated by LG on Jan 5, 2025, and it received a tremendous response from students and competitive examination aspirants living in Karol Bagh, Rajendra Nagar and Patel Nagar.
“All its 60 seats remain permanently occupied, with students utilising the facility in shifts of eight hours each. The existence of a cafe on the premises also helps them,” said the official. “The growing demand at this centre has led DDA to expand its capacity, including the seating arrangements. The process for providing accessible toilets and constructing extension blocks is in progress. To prevent waterlogging, rainwater harvesting pits are also constructed,” he added.
The new areas where the four facilities are coming up have a sizeable student population preparing for various entrance exams like civil services, medical, engineering and chartered accountancy.
“These will be 24×7 open libraries or reading rooms, like the one at Rajendra Nagar, and equipped with multiple facilities like a cafeteria, locker, power-plug on all seats, airconditioning in summer, newspapers and magazines, separate toilets for men and women, and facilities to read and sit outside,” said an official.
Mayank Rawat
