New Delhi:The future of a historic 132-year-old library now hangs in the balance, and the case has drawn the attention of the Supreme Court itself. Taking suo motu cognizance of media reports to Central Vista Library, the apex court has listed the case for hearing on Monday. The real question is that after the demolition of Shastri Bhawan, where will the lakhs of books and old documents present there be kept safe.

Central Vista Library has long been an important center for the preservation of government documents and books. According to reports, there are about 8.5 lakh books present here, which further increases the historical and cultural importance of this library.

Controversy arose due to demolition of Shastri Bhavan

In fact, a plan has been made to demolish Shastri Bhawan, and due to this questions have been raised about the future of the library. The biggest concern is how such a large number of books and old documents will be safely transferred to another place. This issue was also raised prominently in a recent report by the Indian Express, which stated that the Culture Ministry itself had expressed concern about this transfer.

Government's claim – got place in the new scheme

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, while giving clarification on this entire controversy through social media, had said that the place for the library has already been decided in the Central Vista scheme. However, despite this, the question remains that when and in what manner will the existing library be shifted to the new location, and how will the safety of millions of books be ensured during this period.

Now the Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of these concerns raised in media reports and has decided to hear them. The court will examine what concrete arrangements have been made so far for the preservation of the library. It is considered necessary to provide clarity regarding the safe transfer of these documents before the proposed demolition of Shastri Bhavan.

Answer can be sought on Monday

In Monday's hearing, the Supreme Court may ask for a detailed plan from the Central Government and CPWD for the security of more than 8.5 lakh books and old records. The court may also ask for a clear timeline regarding the temporary location of the library and the new permanent premises during the demolition of Shastri Bhavan. According to the Union Housing Ministry, space for the library has been fixed in the new Central Vista Plan and construction work is going on. This case will be heard by the bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva.