TOBA TEK SINGH: The Gojra municipal committee (MC) library has been in a dilapidated condition for the last few years.

The library, once housing a large number of books, could not regain its lost glory despite the efforts of the TMA elected body to repair the building in previous years.

According to former TMA chairman and now PML-N MNA Khalid Javed Warraich, he had approached the higher authorities repeatedly for the renovation of the library building and preservation of rotten books but the government never provided funds to the TMA.

An old member of the library said he was a frequent visitor to the library but all previous administrations of MC and TMA failed to reconstruct the 74-year-old building or replace it with a new building.

Local literary person Malik Amjad Islam said he and several other people used to visit the library to read newspapers and books despite the fact the walls and roof of the library were in a dangerous condition.

The MC record showed that the library was built on Aug 9 in 1946 which had a number of rare historic books but after the death of librarian Baoji Saeed Shibli in 2003, no qualified librarian was posted here. The library had 3,900 Urdu and 561 English books and of them, 50 books were missing.

For the last 11 years, no new book has been added to the library.

Visitors complain that there is no washroom or drinking water facility for the readers in the library. They demand the appointment of a qualified librarian and the reconstruction of the building.

When contacted, Gojra MC chief officer Tariq Proya claimed that in the upcoming financial year budget, Rs1 million would be sought for the repair and renovation of the library building.

KILLS WIFE: A man allegedly killed his wife after she reportedly refused to allow him to contract a second marriage in Kamalia on Wednesday.

According to the Kamalia Saddar police, Babar Ali, of Mauza Gullay Kay Bhagaily, recently married his relative Safia Parveen, of the same village, but he wanted to marry another woman.

Deceased woman’s brother Muhammad Ramzan told police Babar Ali would often beat her to get her permission for the second marriage but on her constant refusal, the suspect with his sister and mother gave her poison and as a result, she died.

The police have shifted the body to the Kamalia Tehsil Headquarters Hospital and arrested the accused.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2021