The Tamil Nadu government today said it would convert the Anna Centenary Library at Kotturpuram here, which was built by the previous DMK government, into a super speciality paediatric hospital.
The Cabinet has decided to shift the library to the Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) complex, where an integrated knowledge park would be created.
In a statement today, chief minister J Jayalalithaa said, “this would be the first-ever and the best super speciality paediatric hospital to be set up in the country.”
Situated on a sprawling eight acre area, the eight-storeyed library, which has the capacity to house more than 1.2 million books, was considered as the biggest in Asia.
The ruling AIADMK-government led by Jayalalithaa has already decided to convert the new legislative complex into a multi-speciality hospital on the lines of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and a medical college at the Government Estate in the city. This complex was also built by the DMK government.
The knowledge park would house all the Directorates of School Education Department in a state-of-the-art building where modern infrastructure like conference halls, training centres, counselling centres and EDUSAT centre with a full-fledged studio would be created.
“The park will provide all the infrastructure required not only to the teaching faculty, but would also help children to obtain knowledge beyond text books,” Jayalalithaa said.
Giving reasons for shifting the Anna Centenary Library, Jayalalithaa said the new knowledge centre would be nearer to the Connemara and National Book Libraries and it would be appropriate to shift the modern library to the new complex.
Meanwhile, reacting to the government’s decision, Karunanidhi said, “I do not want to say anything. I am leaving it to Tamil scholars and Tamil people, who have self-respect and wisdom.”
