₹42-crore Biswanath Pandit Central Library opens in Kataka

Kataka: The Odisha government on Tuesday inaugurated the Biswanath Pandit Central Library, a modern public library equipped with advanced digital and research facilities, at Badambadi in Kataka. Built at a cost of ₹42 crore, the facility is expected to emerge as a major knowledge and learning centre for students, researchers and readers across the state.

Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, who inaugurated the three-storey library, said the institution would strengthen Odisha’s reading culture while providing a world-class platform for education, research and innovation. He also reiterated the government’s commitment to the holistic development of Kataka, with emphasis on improving urban infrastructure and public amenities.

Spread across three acres, the library has been developed to accommodate more than 1,000 readers and houses a collection of over one lakh books. It has been equipped with a dedicated e-library, children’s section, research wing, auditorium, conference room, cafeteria, high-speed internet, solar power facilities, CCTV surveillance, Divyang-friendly infrastructure and other modern amenities.

During the event, the Minister launched the Library Management System (LMS) to enable technology-driven library services and efficient digital management. He also felicitated 35 publishers from Cuttack for their contribution to the state’s literary and publishing ecosystem.

Mahapatra further unveiled the logo for the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Kataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) and virtually laid the foundation stone for a ₹21-crore modern Goshala to be developed at Gurdijhatia.

KMC Commissioner Kirandeep Kaur Sahota said the library would become a centre for knowledge creation, research and intellectual engagement, benefiting students, scholars and the general public alike.

The library has been developed by the Odisha State Police Housing and Welfare Corporation Ltd.