G.O. (Ms.) No. 148, Revival of Rural Libraries under Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam, 2021-2022
The Tamil Nadu Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department issued Government Order (Ms.) No. 148 on 14 December 2021, approving Rs.91.75 crore and detailed guidelines to revive 4,116 rural libraries under Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam during 2021-2022. It covers library repairs, furniture, books and implementation responsibilities, and does not change land ownership, property title or land use.
What the government order does
Government Order (Ms.) No. 148, dated 14 December 2021, from the Tamil Nadu Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department gives administrative sanction for reviving rural libraries under Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam. The programme is intended to restore dormant or unusable village panchayat libraries and support reading, access to books and preparation for competitive examinations.
The wider proposal is to revive 12,525 rural libraries over three years, from 2021-2022 to 2023-2024. For 2021-2022, the government approved work in 4,116 libraries across 387 blocks.
Funding and approved work
Government Order (Ms.) No. 148 sanctions and releases a total of Rs.91.75 crore. This consists of Rs.64.22 crore from the State Fund and Rs.27.53 crore from the Capital Grant Fund.
The approved allocation covers:
- Rs.60.88 crore for repairing 4,116 library buildings.
- Rs.10.29 crore for furniture, calculated at Rs.25,000 per library.
- Rs.20.58 crore for new or additional books, calculated at Rs.50,000 per library.
The Director of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj is authorised to draw the sanctioned amount, distribute it to districts and report implementation progress to the government.
Library improvements and controls
The guidelines attached to Government Order (Ms.) No. 148 include the following requirements:
- Repair and renovate deteriorated library buildings.
- Provide ramps for persons with disabilities and toilets where no toilet exists.
- Provide rainwater harvesting where facilities are absent or damaged.
- Replace unusable furniture according to the condition and size of each library.
- Ensure supplied furniture is durable and carries a three-year replacement warranty.
- Select new and additional books at the state level through a committee chaired by the Director of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj.
- Take photographs before, during and after every work.
Who is affected
Government Order (Ms.) No. 148 mainly affects village panchayats, district officials, rural development agencies, library staff and residents who use the selected rural libraries. Property buyers and landowners are not directly affected because the document contains no provisions changing patta, ownership, boundaries, registration, classification or permitted land use.
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Common questions
Does Government Order (Ms.) No. 148 affect my patta or property ownership?
No. The document deals with renovation and operation of rural libraries and contains no change to patta, property ownership, boundaries or land use.
Will all rural libraries be renovated during 2021-2022?
No. The plan covers 12,525 libraries over the period from 2021-2022 to 2023-2024, with 4,116 libraries in 387 blocks selected for 2021-2022.
What improvements can a selected rural library receive?
The approved work includes building repairs, ramps, toilets where none exist, replacement furniture and new or additional books. Rainwater harvesting is also to be provided where it is absent or damaged.
Who selects the new books for these libraries?
A state-level committee chaired by the Director of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj selects the new and additional books.
