Purnia. On 25 January 2020, Purnia DM Rahul Kumar launched a unique campaign ‘Abhiyan Kitab Daan’ in the district. The DM had appealed to the people to donate the books kept in their homes, so that libraries can be opened in rural areas. This appeal of the DM had such an effect on the people that in just one and a half year people donated 1.5 lakh books in Purnia. Today, the effect of this campaign is that Purnia district has become the first district in the country, where libraries have been opened in all 230 panchayats and seven municipal bodies without spending any government money.
DM Rahul Kumar said that from this one and a half lakh books donated, libraries were opened in rural areas in all 230 panchayats and seven municipal bodies, local volunteers, retired teachers, social workers were given the responsibility of its operation. In this, the officers and employees of the Education Department also participated enthusiastically. As a result of this, today libraries have been opened in all rural areas of the district. Now NITI Aayog has also given four crore rupees to Purnia under Expressional District, out of which two crore 20 lakh rupees will be spent in these panchayat libraries. With this amount, arrangements will be made for other things including bench desk chair in all these libraries.
The DM said that this campaign has also had a positive effect in increasing the literacy rate of the district. Panchayat libraries were also opened in Majra Panchayat of Purnia with the books received from this ‘Abhiyan Kitab Daan’. The villagers of Majra and the volunteers who run the library say that there were no libraries in this area earlier, due to which people had difficulty in reading. But now on the initiative of the DM, libraries have been opened in his village as well. Now after taking out time from farming, they come to the library every day for 2 hours in the evening, where they take out the books and read. Apart from this, they also read papers and magazines. This is making a very positive impact among the people.
Local Tarakant Mishra, library director Roshan Mishra, teacher Kumod Thakur, education department official Ujjwal Kumar Sarkar said that they are getting a lot of benefit from the opening of this library. Earlier they used to play cards sitting unnecessary in the village, now they come to the library and study. There has also been a lot of awareness among the children here. Those people also come to the library after taking out time and read the book there. There are good books here. People said that this campaign of the DM of Purnia has got a name in the whole country and today Purnia district has become the first district in the country where libraries have been opened in all the panchayats. This is a great achievement.
The effect of open libraries with ‘Abhiyan Kitab Daan’ has been such that in the field of education, the most backward area of the country is awakening the light of education even in the Bayasi subdivision. When we reached Chandragama, a remote rural area of Bayasi, late in the evening, there were also rural and village girls sitting in the library reading books. These girls said that earlier there was not a single library in their area. Due to which they had a lot of difficulty in studies. But, when the library has opened today, those people are getting a lot of benefit.
At the same time, villagers say that now people spend their free time in the library and earn knowledge. This is also increasing the literacy rate in this area. Today Purnia has become the first district in the country where panchayat libraries have been opened in all 230 panchayats and seven municipal bodies. NITI Aayog has also given two crore rupees to the district administration for this. The campaign launched by the DM of Purnea has emerged as a big movement for book donation.
