2 days ago
Maharashtra to revamp 60 prison libraries
Pune: Maharashtra government on Sunday announced that 60 prison libraries across the state will each receive a new bookcase and book rack. The initiative, aimed at fostering a reading culture among inmates and supporting their rehabilitation, will be executed under the Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation's (RRRLF) Matching Grant Scheme, in collaboration with the State Directorate of Libraries. Police-stand-guard-outside-the-high-security-Yerwada-Jail-where-Pakistan-born-Mohammed-Ajmal-Kasab-the-sole-surviving-gunman-of-the-2008-Mumbai-attacks-was-hanged-in-Pune-AFP
The decision follows a proposal placed before the state library planning committee during its meeting on December 13, 2024, which explored ways to extend the benefits of RRRLF's schemes to libraries in Maharashtra. The furniture will be delivered to prison libraries in the coming weeks, said officials.
'Access to books can open a window to new perspectives, self-improvement, and a better future,' chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had said, adding that prison reforms must go hand-in-hand with opportunities for education and personal growth.
The Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation, headquartered in Kolkata, is a central government institution that supports the development of public libraries across India through grants, infrastructure support, and literacy programmes. Its grant scheme enables state governments to receive funds for library development projects, with the cost shared between the state and the foundation.
State library authorities have urged other public and community libraries in Maharashtra to apply for such schemes to enhance facilities, promote reading culture, and make libraries vibrant community spaces.
