PATNA: In an exceptional move, Bihar Vidhan Sabha’s library committee on Saturday decided to call a meeting of the city’s civil society to seek people’s opinion on the Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation Limited’s (BSBCCL) proposal to demolish front portion of the historic Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library (KBL) to facilitate construct an elevated road from Kargil Chowk to the NIT More over the Ashok Rajpath.
The BSBCCL, in a letter to the KBL director, has proposed demolishing the front portion of the historic library including its Curzon reading hall and front boundary wall to facilitate construction of a proposed elevated road.
The BSBCCL, in fact, has sought a no objection certificate (NOC) from the KBL director to demolish the front portion of the 130-year old library which was opened for public way back in 1891.
The elevated road on the Ashok Rajpath has been proposed to ease traffic on way to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) which is now being upgraded into a 5,000-bed world class hospital.
“The Bihar Vidhan Sabha’s library committee has taken up the matter of proposed demolition of the KBL’s front portion very seriously and the committee has also apprised the chief minister and the assembly speaker about the concerns of the civil society. The committee will also hold a discussion with the officials of the road construction department and the BSBCCL on April 16 over the issue. Prior to discussion with the officials, the committee has called a meeting of the city’s civil society on April 13 to seek people’s opinion on this sensitive issue,” the committee’s chairman and MLA Sudama Prasad has said in an invitation letter dispatched to the city’s intellectuals on Saturday.
The civil society’s meeting has been convened at the KBL premises.
In his invitation letter, Prasad has urged the city’s public to participate in the meeting on a large scale and share their valuable opinion so that necessary steps could be taken to protect the “historical heritage” KBL.
Contacted over phone, Prasad told TOI on Saturday that the house committee would take further decisions on the basis of the people’s opinion. He said the issue was discussed in detail at the recent meeting of the house committee. Prasad, an MLA of the CPI-ML, represents Tarari seat in the Bihar assembly.
On the other hand, city’s intellectuals, writers, historians and social activists are up in arms against the BSBCCL’s proposal to demolish the front portion of the KBL.
Dozens of prominent intellectuals including Prof D M Diwakar, Prof Shankar Dutt, Prof Bharti S Kumar, Prof Santosh Kumar, historian Prof Daisy Narayan, well-known poet Alok Dhanwa, stage artists namely Nivedita Jha, Tanvir Akhtar, Mona Jha, artist Minakshi Jha Banerjee and many others have urged the stated government not to demolish the front portion of the historic library and find out any alternative route to build the proposed elevated road.