Mysuru: Chief Minister Siddharamaiah advised people to Cultivate Library Culture to improve their knowledge. He was speaking after inaugurating the centenary celebrations of City Central Library at the Open air theater on Wednesday.
Addressing the gathering, he said that all great men of the past, including B R Ambedkar and Kuvempu had made good use of libraries. “Knowledge is treasure, cultivating Library habits will help everyone in their holistic growth as an individual and as an asset to society. Rural youth must be motivated to read extensively, and the proposed libraries would create interest in reading books and journals among them, he said, adding that rural people must be made to imbibe library culture.
To encourage this, the State government would set up a library in each gram panchayat (GP). Siddaramaiah said that all the 6,000 GPs in the State would soon have a library.
On being declared Mysore as Clean City in the country, he said, “it is a feather added. The credit must go to the Pourakarmikas and Mysuru City Corporation.”
He said that now, the Mayor and MCC Commissioner should look into making the City plastic free. If efforts in this regard are put, the city will become cleaner. It is also a matter of pride as Bengaluru has been declared as Cleanest Capital while Hasan and Mandya also figure in the top 10 list. The responsibilities of authorities has increased now as they should put more efforts to retain the spot.
Further sighting the importance of libraries he said that internet cannot replace libraries and libraries would remain relevant for all times. Once a person develops interest in reading books, he may not need friends or companions and books would be his best friends. The City Central Library has served over 100 years which is remarkable. He also recalled the role of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodiayar in setting up of the Library.
District-in-charge Minister V Srinivasaprasad said that the Library building will be named after RashtraKavi Kuvempu.
Librarians who excelled in their profession, and former Mayors were felicitated on the occasion.
Early in the morning more than 5,000 people including women working at libraries across the State today took out a mammoth rally to mark the Centenary celebrations of City Central Library and Librarians Day.
The procession, which was flagged off by District Minister V. Sreenivasa Prasad after showering petals to the portrait of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar at the premises of Kote Anjaneyaswamy temple, passed through K.R.Circle, Devaraj Urs Road, Metropole Circle on JLB Road, Hunsur Road, Kukkarahalli Lake road and culminated at the Open Air Theatre in Manasagangotri.
Kimmane Rathnakar, Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education, and H.S. Mahadev Prasad, Minister for Cooperation and Sugar, were also present at the occasion.
