Kataka: Marking a significant milestone in Odisha’s educational and intellectual landscape, the Vishwanath Pandit Central Library, one of the state’s most modern public libraries, was inaugurated in Kataka city on Tuesday.
The state-of-the-art library was inaugurated at Badambadi in Kataka by Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra.
Built over three acres at an investment of Rs 42 crore, the library is designed to promote reading, research, innovation and lifelong learning, providing world-class facilities to students, researchers, academicians and citizens alike.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Mahapatra described the library
as a landmark institution that would usher in a new era of knowledge and research in Cuttack and across Odisha. He said the library would play a transformative role in strengthening the state’s reading culture and creating an enabling environment for academic excellence and innovation.
Emphasising the Government’s commitment to the holistic development of Cuttack, the Minister said every effort is being made to transform the historic city into a cleaner, greener and more vibrant urban centre. He assured that all developmental requirements of the city would receive priority attention from the State Government.
On the occasion, the Minister also inaugurated the Library Management System (LMS), enabling technology-driven library services and efficient digital management of books and members. In recognition of their invaluable contribution to Odisha’s literary and publishing ecosystem, 35 eminent publishers from Cuttack were felicitated during the ceremony.
A special logo for the year-long celebrations commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) was also unveiled. In another significant development, the foundation stone for a modern Goshala to be developed over five acres at Gurdijhatia at an estimated cost of Rs 21 crore was laid virtually by the Minister.