MAPUSA
Nearly three years after the Mapusa civic library was shut down for public and after several assurances to temporarily re-start a reading room facility in town, authorities are yet to get their act together.
In between, the Covid-related restrictions delayed the re-opening of the reading facility after the then council had decided to temporarily introduce the facility of a reading room in Mapusa.
Several avid readers and regular visitors at the municipal library were upset with the Mapusa Municipal Council for failing to take up the crucial work on the library, thus depriving them the facility of reading.
Senior citizens who frequented the municipal library were affected the most and looked forward to at least get a reading room to scan through the daily newspapers.
“Those were the good old days when we used to frequent the Athaide Municipal Library and read the local and national newspapers to our heart’s content. Besides reading, we used to also chat with fellow citizens. But after the library was suddenly shut down, we are only left with memories,” said Sunil Naik, a senior citizen of Mapusa.
For Anthony Carrasco, another senior citizen from Carrasvaddo, Mapusa, the closure of the library was a big loss to the people of Mapusa, particularly to senior citizen like him.
“Apart from reading the newspapers, the library was a meeting point to several people like us. Several students who regularly used the reading room and the municipal library have also been deprived of a crucial facility,” Carrasco said.
Allen Faria of Cunchelim said he had submitted several representations and even raised the issue with former Mapusa Municipal Council chairperson Ryan Braganza, current MMC Chairperson Shubhangi Vaigankar and even the local MLA Joshua D’Souza.
“All of them promised to start the library but nothing happened,” Faria said.
The municipal library of the Mapusa Municipal Council was shut down in September 2019 on account of the weak building. But before closing the library, authorities failed to make an alternative arrangement to cater to large number of children and senior citizens who regularly used the reading room facility and the library.
The council initially planned to hand over the library to the Arts and Culture department to renovate the structure and set up a district library in its place. But later, that plan was shelved and the council decided to repair the building through the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA).
MMC Chairperson Shubhangi Vaigankar informed that work to renovate and refurbish the old municipal building would be taken up soon and therefore, there was no need to start a temporary reading room facility.
“Nowadays, kids do not read books or newspapers. They are more interested in reading stuff on mobiles and laptops. We are planning to set up a digital facility in keeping with the trend,” Vaigankar said.
She admitted that senior citizens like to read newspapers which will also be made available once the renovation of the project is completed, but refused to commit on the temporary reading facility.
