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From manuals and encyclopedias to records of pre-Independence administration in the country, the Central Library of the MCD was once home to 8,000 books and rare manuscripts, making it a coveted spot for scholars from across the capital.
However, its shift from the Town Hall in Chandni Chowk to the Civic Centre at Minto Road two years ago resulted in two changes: At least 2,000 books, including certain manuscripts, were destroyed in transit; and the library is now accessible to only MCD employees.
Built in 1958, the library boasted of civil, criminal, and revenue records from 1901 to 1950, and census data from Kashmir, Punjab, and Madras (now Chennai) from 1921. Besides, it boasted an envious collection of Urdu literature apart from dedicated sections for children books, computer books and religious literature.
Until 2009, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) functioned out of the Town Hall. Once the Civic Centre was inaugurated in 2010, all other departments vacated the older premises. The Central Library stayed back, but at a cost.
“For 12 years, the library was in absolute neglect. Not even a penny was allotted. Most employees were fired over the years and I was the only one left. There was no water; dogs and monkeys had taken over the space. It was not uncommon to spot snakes as well. Books were gathering dust in the absence of cleaning staff,” says Praveen Kumar Bansal, who has been serving as a library staff for the last 34 years.
Recalling the good old days of the library, Bansal says, “We had a double-storey space: the ground floor used to house books, the second floor was a reading area. We had a designated library staff for Urdu books, three assistant librarians, and a librarian. Now, it is just me and two data-entry operators hired on contractual basis.”
MCD library to go with saman story.Express photo by Anil Sharma.27.06.2024
Bansal says though the library has always allowed only municipal employees to issue books, PhD scholars would regularly visit and spend time there.
“This is no longer the case as the Civic Centre is not accessible to the common people anymore,” he adds.
Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) leader of the house, Mukesh Goel, says, “It was a good space to study and to understand policy.”
“The books there would provide explanations related to the MCD… the gifts given to the corporation by other countries were also on display. But
they later started gathering dust,” Mira Aggarwal, a former mayor, says.
“With its ample space and adequate natural light, it was a pleasant space to sit and study,” says Yogendra Mann, who had worked at the MCD for 33 years.
The library still has many manuscripts and antique books — such as the original copy of the Constitution of India, the first Pictorial Survey of India, 1950, along with an original copy of Eternal India by Indira Gandhi.
“The shifting took place in the most hurried manner. This destroyed 2,000 books,” an MCD official said.
The books that were damaged are kept inside the MCD building, stored in huge cartons. Original copies of the town planning maps were seen lying inside a carton, torn into several pieces, along with Hindi and Urdu books.
“Many of these were also damaged by termites at the Town Hall building. We have carefully stored each page so that they can be fixed again,” says Bansal, the librarian.
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