Cooch Behar, July 15 (H.S.): The Dewanganj General Library, located near Dewanganj market in Haldibari Block, has remained closed for the last. As a result, hundreds of books kept in the library are gathering dust. Locals allege that though a librarian is officially assigned to the library, he seldom shows up.

According to local sources, this rural library was established in 1961 in the 16 No. Janglabas area under the Dewanganj Gram Panchayat of Haldibari Block. The library houses over 3,000 books and has more than 240 registered readers on record. People from neighboring Gram Panchayats such as Hemkumari and Parmekhaliganj also used to visit the library. However, since 2021, the librarian has stopped attending regularly, leading to the gradual deterioration of the library's resources.

Pappu Roy Patowary, a college student, said, I used to visit the library regularly. Now I’m forced to read magazines on my mobile phone.

Job aspirant Mrinalkanti Roy added, There are no new books available anymore, especially ones related to general knowledge or competitive exam preparation.

Subrata Sarkar, the librarian of Dewanganj Library, explained, I manage two to three libraries. Dewanganj is nearly 90 km from my home, but I still try to visit occasionally.

Cooch Behar District Library Officer Shibnath De commented on the issue, saying, A new building for Dewanganj Library is under construction. Once the construction is completed, the library will be reopened. Mr. Subrata visits the library from time to time.

Locals have demanded that the library be reopened at the earliest and that the librarian be present regularly, so students and readers from the rural areas can once again have access to educational resources.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey