The Joint Visakhapatnam District Library Society, Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha (ZGS), has urged the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) to address mounting financial and infrastructural challenges threatening the functioning of public libraries across the city.

Society Chairman Vannemreddy Satish Kumar met GVMC Commissioner Ketan Karg on Monday and submitted a petition highlighting critical concerns, including the urgent need for a dedicated office building of at least 5,000 square feet, as the District Central Library currently operates out of a dilapidated rented premises.

The Society flagged the precarious condition of the Children’s Branch Library in Ward 36, Rangireeju Street, describing the building as structurally unsafe and posing a serious risk of accident to readers, and urged its immediate relocation to a government or community building of approximately 2,000 square feet.

A severe funds crunch since 2008-09, attributed to irregular government grants, has hampered book procurement, salary and pension disbursement, support for the unemployed, and library renovation. The Society also demanded the release of pending library cess dues amounting to approximately ₹218 crores and sought permission for deposit centres within city limits to operate Grade 1, 2, and 3 libraries in vacant government buildings.