'Vanche Gujarat': CM Bhupendra Patel stresses on increasing number of government libraries

Ahmedabad, Sep 5 (IANS) With an objective of motivating people towards regular reading, the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Vanche Gujarat' (Read Gujarat) campaign in the year 2010. During the drive, his administration also launched an extensive drive to enrich all libraries of the state with books and texts.

Now, the Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel-led state government has reinvigorated the campaign to amplify the programme’s objective and reach and also to deepen reading culture in the state.

It is focusing on increasing the number of government libraries across the state. Last year, a historic decision was taken to start 64 government-run libraries in 50 tehsils of 21 districts and 14 tehsils of seven tribal districts. Out of these, 53 government libraries have become functional.

Today, there are a total of 197 government libraries functioning in the entire state. This year, the state government has approved the construction of 71 new libraries at the tehsil level.

Every year, September 6 is celebrated as ‘National Read a Book Day’. This day inspires every person to take time out from their daily routine to enjoy reading books.

The purpose of celebrating this day is to encourage every person to take an interest in reading activity, so that they can adopt the reading habit and enjoy it.

Presently, a total of 197 government libraries are functional in Gujarat, which includes 33 district libraries and 150 tehsil libraries along with intermediary libraries, mobile libraries, State Central Reserve Book Store, State Art Library and Women's Library.

Government libraries located across the state encourage citizens to read. According to some reports, more than 500 citizens are taking advantage of reading every day in the state's central libraries, while more than 150 readers are taking advantage of reading every day in the district libraries.

In the district libraries where reading facilities are available, more than 250 readers are taking advantage of reading every day and in the tehsil libraries, also more than 100 readers are taking advantage of reading every day.

In order to arouse interest in reading and writing among the people of the tribal communities of the state and to motivate them towards reading and writing, libraries have been started in all the tribal dominated tehsils of the state.

Libraries have been started in 14 tehsils of seven tribal districts of the state, through which the tribal community is also getting the benefit of reading-writing services.

--IANS

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