VISAKHAPATNAM: A two-day national seminar on the topic of ‘Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Public Libraries’ will be held at Visakha Public Library in Dwarakanagar in the city during October 16 and 17. GMR Infra Legal Cell Head Krishnakumari would deliver the keynote address at the seminar.
A Member of Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation-Kolkata from South India, Velaga Venkatappaiah, informed.
“We wanted all public sector undertakings to assist libraries through CSR funds and help restoration of libraries in ruins. ” He added.
He also released the CSR guidelines of the Department of Public Enterprises on the occasion which called for spending two per cent of profits after tax by PSUs on CSR activities. So far, the Visakhapatnam Port Trust had spent Rs.50 lakhs and the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant Rs.10 lakhs on Visakha Public Library building and development through their CSR funds, he said.
Retired library manager of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and chairperson of the Grandhalaya Parirakshana Samithi P.S.N. Murthy urged the Government to spend eight per cent of the property tax collected by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, on development of public libraries in accordance with the Andhra Pradesh Public Libraries Act, 1960.
( With inputs from The Hindu)
