SIALKOT, April 16 The Daska Municipal Library - the only facility for book lovers in the city - is fighting for its survival as half of its portion under its possession has become a picture of neglect.

Half of the library's building had many years ago been handed over to Nadra (National Database and Registration Authority) and the rest of the place also may be sold out, depriving the people of a library. Nadra is using the place as a parking lot for its employees and visitors.

The Tehsil Municipal Administration, which runs the library, has not added even a single new book to the library for the last two decades. It has a collection of 3,100 books most of which are dust-ridden; some almost unusable.

Absence of facility for reading newspapers, rickety furniture and the rundown building structure keep the people away from the public library.

Six years ago, Nadra had established its local office by covering half of the building due to “unavailability of any other suitable place in the city”.

It has not vacated the place since then and is instead negotiating with the TMA to get complete possession of the building. No Nadra official was willing to comment on the issue.