LAHORE, Aug 8: Lahore Development Authority director-general Umer Rasool has said the new private housing societies will be issued licences only after assuring that each colony has allocated a plot and evolved a plan for building a library. A regulatory framework in this regard is being prepared.
Mr Rasool, who had also served as acting higher education secretary for seven days, was speaking after administering oath to the newly elected office-bearers of Pakistan Library Association (PLA), Punjab branch, at Aiwan-iIqbal on Saturday.
He said the LDA would also allocate funds for setting up libraries in its own housing societies.
He said since the assumption of the office of LDA DG, he found that the officials usually seek illegal gratifications from housing societies? owners and their agents. ?Even the big names in housing schemes are ready to pay in millions,? he added.
The director-general said now he had decided that the LDA would develop a fund and ask housing societies? owners to contribute to it for the cause of libraries in Lahore.
Mr Rasool said libraries played an important role in the life of nations. He also acknowledged that the Quaid-iAzam Library had helped him attain maximum knowledge.
On Mr Rasool?s request, Punjab PLA vice-president Dr Muhammad Ramzan offered him life membership of the association as well as announced his appointment as vice-patron of the PLA.
Dr Ramzan stressed that the librarians must learn modern technologies and upgrade their libraries accordingly. He said the PLA would provide simple software in respective colleges? libraries free of cost as well as provide training to librarians at their doorstep.
He said: ?The association has met with the higher education secretary and is now making a proposal for the automation of college libraries. We will also suggest that a programme be launched for the training of college librarians on a regular basis.? Punjab DPI (colleges) Abdul Razzaq Cheema admitted that the profession of librarian was ignored in the past and very little efforts were made for its promotion. He said the librarians were highly important in colleges, but they were never offered proper service structure.
He said the Punjab higher education department would now initiate a four-tier structure for librarians and send requisition to the Punjab Public Service Commission for the recruitment of librarians in BPS-17. He said a large number of librarians? posts were lying vacant in colleges
