Funds released for Delhi’s Hardayal library, but power still out

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has released a grant of ₹2.2 crore for the Lala Hardayal Municipal Heritage Library, but the library is still without power due to unpaid electricity bills. The library management is requesting the power distribution company to waive off the penalty on the bills.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has released a ₹2.2 crore grant for the Lala Hardayal Municipal Heritage Library, but the 161-year-old heritage institution continues to be shrouded in darkness as the library management is currently pleading with the power distribution company (discom) to waive off the penalty amount on pending electricity bills to get its power supply restored, officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday.

People look for books using mobile phone torch at Hardayal library. (HT Photo)

A senior library official said that mayor Shelly Oberoi on Tuesday signed the grant amount, which has been credited to the library’s account. “We have started the processing the bills. The pending electricity bill is around ₹6 lakh, but there is a penalty amount of ₹80,000, and we are requesting the discom to waive off the penalty, considering that the matter pertains to a government department,” the official said, on condition of anonymity.

The official said that the pending salaries of library workers is also expected to be released soon.

On November 15, HT had reported that Hardayal library — one of Delhi’s oldest public libraries — is in a state of sorry disrepair as it is caught in a political slugfest between the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The library has had no power for months, forcing students to use mobile phone torches to study. Apart from this, staffers said that they hadn’t been paid their salaries since February 2021, and the heritage structure has no functional toilets or drinking water.

In a November 16 letter to the mayor, the newly-elected secretary of the library, Preeti — the Aam Aadmi Party councillor from Dilshad Colony — requested the release of grants to clear the pending bills as early as possible. Subsequently, MCD on November 29 administratively approved a grant of ₹2.2 crore to the library to help it tide over the financial crisis.

Thereafter on Tuesday, Oberoi, as the ex-officio chairperson of the library, held a review meeting with the library’s management committee at the Civic Centre, where the arrangements related to improve the institution were discussed. In an official statement, the mayor’s office said that the library employees will start receiving salaries for 2021-22.

The library official quoted above said the work for processing the salaries of employees has been initiated, and will be credited in next two days.