MORIGAON, Sept 7 - A high-level delegation of Sadou Asom Gramya Puthibharal Santha led by its president Pratap Hazarika met the State Water Resource and Science & Technology Minister, Keshab Mahanta on September 5 at Janata Bhavan, Dispur and discussed various problems of rural libraries of Assam.
The delegation pointed out before the minister that there is no Rural Library Act in Assam though the All Assam Gramya Puthibharal Santha has been demanding the imposition of this Act in Assam for the last 30 years.
The members of the Santha said that the Rural Library Act is in force in 19 States of the country including Manipur, Mizoram and West Bengal. But in Assam, due to the absence of this Act as many as 204 government rural libraries are in a dilapidated condition.
The delegation apprised the minister that the salary of a librarian in these library is Rs 900 per month and salary of a Grade 4 employee of the library is Rs 500 per month. The delegation demanded the government to enhance the salary of the librarian and the book keeper of these rural libraries of Assam to run the libraries in a viable state. The delegation also demanded that July 20, the birthday of Krishna Kanta Handique, first Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University should be declared as the Readers� Day and August 9, the birthday of SR Ranganathan, father of the Indian Rural Library be observed as the �Library Day� from the government side.
The minister paid a patience hearing to the demands of the Puthibharal Santha and assured the delegation to fulfil their demands soon.
