No Govt Public Libraries in 16 districts of Sindh

By:Yasir Babbar

KARACHI, Oct 22 (PPI): Libraries are the basic units of informal education in Developed countries but unfortunately 16 districts of Sindh Province still have no Government Public Libraries, It is learnt to PPI here on Friday.

About two and half years have been passed away but the Provincial Culture Department has not made such concrete plan in order to establish Public Libraries in 16 remaining districts of province including Sukkur, Jacobabad, Ghotki, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Kashmor-Kandhkot, Noshahro Feroz, Shaheed Benazirabad, Matiari, Tando Mohammad Khan, TandoAllahyar, Badin, Umerkot, Sanghar, Tharparkar, Jamshoro and Thatta.

Sukkur is Divisional Headquarter and third big city of Sindh with thickly populated Taulakas Rohri, Saleh Pat and Pano Aqil but it has not Public library where from the people of Sukkur and its adjoining areas would get educational benefits.

Jamshoro is called the city of Education because University of Sindh, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology and Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences are located in the heart of this city but Provincial Government has no time and budget of some millions to establish a Public Library there.

Noshahro Feroze was called as the land of education and educators in the British era. But, people of this district also use to migarat to Hyderabad or Karachi for the preparation of CSS and PCS examas and Libararies are basic source of books in this regard.

Similarly, Jacobabad, Ghotki, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Kashmore-Kandhkot and Shaheed Benazirabad districts have population in Millions but unfortunately all governments had not took sereous efforts in order to establish the Public Libararies.

The Provincial Culture Department is running only 10 Public libraries in province including Liaquat Memorial Library Karachi, Shams-ul-Ulma Daudpota Library Hyderabad, Lal Shahbaz Library Sehwan Sharif, Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto Library Larkana, Shah Latif Library Ratodero, Allama I.I Kazi Library Dadu, Sachal Sarmast library Khairpur Muir’s, Sindh Government Library Mirpurkhas and Qadir Bux Bedal Library Shikarpur.

These libraries are also running on old patron, lack of latest books, lack of staff, lack of Air-conditions, lack of drinking water facilities are main problems observed by the PPI.
When contacted, Director Culture Mohammad Ali Manjhi told PPI that Culture department has no such funds to establish more Public libraries in all districts of Sindh.

He added that seven Cultural Complexes are under construction in Umerkot, Mithi, Mirpurkhas, Tando Alahayar, Thatta, Sanghar and Shaheed Benazirabad, libraries are part of these complexes. Auditorium, Art Galleries and Museums are also the main features of these on going projects, he added.

He said that there are many libraries are running under the Provincial Education department and District and Town Councils are also running many libraries.


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