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Panel to look into charge of missing books

Raktima Bose

KOLKATA: The National Library here has set up a five-member committee to look into charges that rare books and manuscripts are missing from one of the most hallowed institutions of its kind in the country.

“The charges have come as a surprise to us,” R. Ramachandran, Director in charge of the National Library, told journalists here.

“We have sent a report to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs refuting the charge as there are no rare books or manuscripts missing from our library.”

The Ministry sought a report from library authorities following reports from the Comptroller and Auditor-General, which “alleged that many rare books and manuscripts are missing from the Rare Book Section,” Dr. Ramachandran said.

He said the CAG conducted in January this year a preliminary performance audit, which was the first of its kind in the history of the library.

He, however, refuted the claim that he had received feedback from the CAG on anomalies in the ‘Rare Book Section’.

Dr. Ramachandran said: “We had fully co-operated with the three-member CAG team and it never complained of any discrepancy during its stay here.”

In the library, which boasts 25 lakh books in its inventory, stock verification had not been done for the past 25 years due to staff shortage, he said. “We have only three members for stock verification.”

On financial irregularities alleged by the CAG, he said: “The library annually spends Rs. 2 crore to buy books from foreign publications according to the general financial rule of the Government of India and there is no irregularity on our part.”

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