Date:10/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/10/stories/2006111008730400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Library cess likely to be increased

Special Correspondent

The plan is to raise it from six per cent to 10 per cent, says Horatti

DISCUSSION: Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Basavaraj Horatti greeting writers at a meeting in Bangalore on Thursday. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE: The State Government is planning to increase the library cess from six per cent to 10 per cent to mobilise more resources to fund libraries.

Addressing presspersons after a meeting with officials of the Library Department here on Thursday, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Basavaraj Horatti said the Tamil Nadu model where

10 per cent cess was levied on house taxpayers was under consideration.

A proposal seeking raising the library cess would be placed before the Cabinet soon, he said.

In 2006-07, Rs. 17.02 crore had been set aside for purchase of books under various schemes.

A sum of Rs. 1.65 crore had been earmarked under the Rajaram Mohun Roy Library Trust, Rs. 3 crore under the single window agency, Rs. 2.46 crore under gram panchayat library scheme, Rs. 1.24 crore for urban libraries and Rs. 8 crore for State, city and district-level libraries, he said. In view of large-scale irregularities in the purchase of books, the Government had decided to purchase books through the single window agency. The Dharam Singh Government had ordered a Corps of Detectives (CoD) probe into irregularities in the purchase of books by the Library Department. But no action was taken based on the CoD report, he said.

The meeting also decided to constitute an expert committee of Kannada writers to prepare a list of books for purchase. Disparity in the selection of books by writers of urban and rural areas would be eliminated, Mr. Horatti said. The writers had complained to the Minister that the department purchased only books written by authors residing in cities.