Inspiring! All 118 Panchayats Of Jharkhand's Jamtara District Have Community Libraries

All the 118 panchayats of Jamtara district in Jharkhand have community libraries after rejuvenating the old, dilapidated and outdated panchayat or college building libraries, which were lying unused for many years.

The initiative to promote libraries in rural areas was launched by Jamtara Deputy Commissioner, Faiz Aq Ahmed Mumtaz, who has succeeded in his mission in equipping all 118 panchayats with their own library building with well-stocked books, reported The New Indian Express.

The idea came to his mind when a villager, during a 'janta darbar', had once pointed at the lack of education and how the library could be of great help for students who do not have access to travel to other towns and prepare for competitive exams. So, Mumtaz thought to convert the unused government buildings into full-fledged libraries.

'Chengaidih panchayat was the first one to get such kind of facility on November 13, last year and then there was no looking back," said the District Collector.

The facility has also proven to be helpful for girls, who are now able to get study material at their doorsteps, which was not possible earlier as they were not permitted to study outside their village.

Each of these libraries has been adopted by one teacher. To encourage more students to join the government services, police officials give coaching classes every Sunday while officials from the Civil Administration conduct classes on Wednesdays.

Helping Poor And Impoverished Children

All the renovated buildings have been equipped with a set of books, furniture and other basic amenities with the help of crowd-funding and Corporate Social Responsibility funds. A committee has also been formed by local villagers for its daily management.

"The initiative fulfills the dual goal of saving the dilapidated buildings and, secondly, it develops a community feeling among the villagers," Mumtaz said, adding that the libraries have also turned to be a coaching institute for the poor and impoverished students.

According to the library website, a total of 2875 classes have been conducted so far by the best minds from their respective fields. Any information regarding them could also be obtained from the website.

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