KATHMANDU, Jan 26: Nepal National Library is set to be constructed at Jamal under the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. The library opened a tender for the construction of the library building on Monday.
The library building at Harihar Bhawan in Lalitpur was destroyed after the earthquake of 2015, which also destroyed important books, magazines and documents. A controversy started when the Council of Ministers handed over 8 ropanis of land of Tribhuvan University (TU) in Jamal to the National Library for the management of the Nepal National Library.
TU was preparing to build a shopping complex on the land with a business plan. On the other hand, the Reconstruction Authority had decided to relocate both Trichandra College and Library to Jamal to expand Ranipokhari.
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However, after the Council of Ministers decided to build a library on Jamal's government land (formerly there was a Jana Prasasan college under TU), the move to build a business complex was stopped and the land was passed in the name of the library.
The library is currently operating on the premises of the Education and Human Resource Development Center at Bhaktapur Sanothimi, said Dasharath Mishra, head of the library. He claimed that the dispute was over after the government transferred the ownership of Jamal's land to the library. He said that the government has estimated the cost of the seven-story modern building at Rs 740 million.
“The government has started the process of preparing a map for the Nepal National Library and passing it in the metropolis,” said Mishra. “The government has planned to complete the construction of the library building within two years. The library will be built on the land passed by the government in the name of the library.”
Meanwhile, there is a public library at Bhrikuti Mandap in Kathmandu and Keshar library at Keshar Mahal at present. Similarly, there is the Dilliraman Library in Lazimpart. But the people of Lalitpur have complained that there is not a single library in Lalitpur and have demanded to set up a library in Harihar Bhawan.
