New Delhi, October 5 (Daily Kiran) : The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the central government regarding the proposed relocation of the Central Secretariat Library (CSL), a historic institution established 135 years ago. This decision, made during a hearing on Monday, involves shifting the library from its current location at Shastri Bhawan in New Delhi.
The bench, comprising Justices P.V. Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva, has directed the government to submit a detailed affidavit within three weeks. This affidavit must include a layout plan of the space allocated for the library in the new Central Vista plan and provide comprehensive details about the relocation.
The court specifically requested information on how much space has been designated for the CSL in the new plan, which houses approximately 850,000 books. The relocation proposal aims to move the library from its existing site as part of the broader Central Vista project.
Additionally, the justices inquired whether the allocated area would be sufficient to accommodate the library’s extensive collection, including around 200,000 extra books currently stored in containers at RK Puram.
In response, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati assured the court that space for the library has been earmarked in the Central Vista plan.
The Central Secretariat Library, operating under the Ministry of Culture, was originally established in 1891 in Calcutta as the Imperial Secretariat Library. According to its website, the library was relocated to Delhi in 1912 and has been situated in Shastri Bhawan since 1969. It is recognized as the second largest central government library in India, following the National Library in Kolkata.
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