MCC yet to clear `11 crore worth library cess

Mayor of Mysore City Corporation (MCC) R Lingappa had to face an embarrassment when officials of the department of Public Library highlighted that MCC had kept huge sums payable to the department, pending.

During the inaugural of the National Library Week in the city, Director of the department, Satish Kumar Hosamane pointed out that MCC had not cleared library cess to the tune of Rs 11 crore from the past several years. “If MCC does not pay the amount to the City Library Authority, plans of developing libraries in the city limits will take a hit,” he said. Apart from MCC, Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA), several taluk and grama panchayats owe close to Rs 2.5 crore to the Library Authority, he said.

Reacting to the statements made, Lingappa assured that MCC would soon clear the pending cess. “Before my tenure ends, I will strive to pay it, as much as possible,” he added. 

Digital centres
Hosamane said that the State government would soon launch 12 digital libraries on an experimental basis, in tune with the current developments in information technology.

Mysuru will be among the first districts in the State, where such a library will come up in the immediate future. He said that apart from the digital library, digital centres will come up in 16 grama panchayat limits of the district.   

He said that the department was already providing digital services to candidates who are pursuing civil service examinations, such as KAS and IAS.