No public library under the culture ministry has been shut but some branches of the Delhi Public Library have been closed and merged with others due to lack of membership, Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma has told the Lok Sabha.
The ministry has six libraries across the country under its control, the minister said in a written reply to a question on public libraries on July 17.
Though none have closed, five branches of the Delhi Public Library have been merged with other libraries.
"Five sub branch and Resettlement colony libraries of Delhi Public Library have been closed in 2015 due to lack of membership and the same merged with the nearest sub branch/zonal Library," Sharma informed the house.
The branches of the Delhi Public Library which have been closed and merged with others are Jagruthi Enclave Sub branch, New Rajinder Nagar Sub branch, Netaji Nagar Sub branch, Vigyan Vihar Sub branch and Wazirpur Resettlement colony Library.
The six public libraries under the ministry's administrative control are the National Library, Kolkata, Central Reference Library, Kolkata, Central Secretariat Library, New Delhi, Delhi Public Library, Delhi, Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library, Patna and Rampur Raza Library, Rampur.
Sharma said the Union ministry does not maintain state- wise list of public libraries.
The Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF) is the nodal agency of the government of India to support public library services and systems. Its budget runs into Rs 100 crore and it supports approximately 34,000 of the 70,000 public libraries in India under its various schemes.
In a bid to revitalise public libraries, the ministry is providing financial assistance for various purposes like construction,renovation, upgradation, modernization, procurement of books for public libraries through various schemes under Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation and National Mission on Libraries, Sharma said.
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