Madras HC: Writ challenging choice of books for library dismissed

Madras High Court has dismissed a writ petition, challenging the Tamil Nadu Government’s manner of selection of books for village libraries, established under the Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam (AGAMT). Mr Justice K Venkataraman dismissed the petitions filed by Rajeswari Puthaga Nilayam and ten other publishers, holding there was no mala fide in the list of books and the mode of their selection by the Commissioner of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj. The government submitted AGAMT was a flagship scheme, launched by the State Government in 2006-07, which aimed at improving the physical and social infrastructure in all village panchayats over a period of five years. One of the components of the scheme was the setting up of libraries in each and every village panchayat at a cost of Rs 2 lakh. When the scheme was completed by 2010-2011, Tamil Nadu would have the distinction of being the only State in the country to have libraries in each and every village panchayat, it said. For selecting books for the libraries, the government, after issuing advertisement, constituted a state-level committee of eminent persons which short listed the books. It had selected 858 books from 548 authors offered by 235 publishers and dealers. The books comprised 148 books for children, 114 for youth, 93 for reference category, 86 about great leaders, 185 on fiction and 219 on non-fiction and 13 books of poetry, it said.

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