The Ministry of Culture has approved Rs 400 crore for the upgradation of Central and State libraries during the 12th Plan period.

Under the scheme “National Mission on Libraries (NML) – Upgradation of Libraries – Providing Services to the Public”, six libraries under the Centre will be upgraded. These are Delhi Public Library, Delhi (Rs 234.38 lakh); Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library, Patna (Rs 398.78 lakh); National Library, Kolkata (426.84 lakh); Central Secretariat Library (452.38 lakh) Thanjavur Maharaja Serfoji’s Saraswati Mahal Library, Tamil Nadu (Rs 691.22 lakh). No amount has been specified for Rampur Raza Library, Uttar Pradesh, which us also under the Culture Ministry.

In States, Rs 223 lakh each has been approved for HKM State Library, Bhubaneshwar, State Central Library, Bangalore, Birchandra State Central Library, Agartala and State Central Library, Itanagar. State Central Libraray Kolkata Will be provided Rs 222.81 lakh and State Central Library, Allahabad, will get Rs 206 lakha Ministry release said.

“Proposals of 12 States have been approved and fund released to three states,” said the release.

The scheme envisages creation of National Virtual Library of India, setting up of NML model libraries, quantitative and qualitative survey of libraries and capacity building in 35 State Central Libraries and 35 District Libraries (to be identified by State Governments) and six libraries under the Ministry of Culture. As of now, 11 State Central Libraries and 11 District Libraries have been identified so far, it added.​

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