The first Book Cafe of the city was inaugurated today by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh at Takka Bench that oversees the state capital.
The Cafe that was funded by the state Tourism Department, was jointly built by the state government and the Prisons Department.
Inmates of Kaithu Jail, Jai Chand and Yog Raj, serving life imprisonment, will initially run the cafe. They will be chefs and will be assisted by two other inmates Ram Lal and Raj Kumar, DGP (Prisons) Somesh Goyal said.
They have been imparted training at Radisson Hotel and trials have been successful, he said.
Besides cold drinks, cookies, pizza and biscuits will part of the menu. The food will be prepared and served by the jail's inmates, the DGP said.
The centre will have a wide range of books by famous authors on environment, wild life, flowers, animals and the state.
The Cafe situated just above the the historical Ridge at Takka Bench will have a sitting capacity for 40 persons.
"People will now have one more place to relax and enjoy the scenic beauty of the hills. They will have a variety of books to read. The cafe will prove to be a boon for locals and tourists," the Chief Minister said.
Every page of a good book is a store-house of man's best and noblest thoughts. The Cafe will have best books of great minds from across the world.
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