Sundargarh: A book reading movement was launched at a book garden housing varieties of books for readers at the official residence of the District Collector here.
District Collector Nikhil Pawan Kalyan, who inaugurated the book garden Sunday, said real knowledge comes from reading books and wisdom is the outcome of such churning.
The book garden was opened to inculcate reading habit among students and the general public when it was on the decline in this digital era.
This book garden will open for general public every Sunday at 3 pm when book lovers can visit the place and browse through the books of their choice.
The book garden is located inside the garden adjoining the Collector’s residence where an array of books comprising short stories and fiction of renowned authors, biographies and general knowledge material are stacked at the stalls.
The Collector’s initiative to open the book garden at his residence for students and book lovers has been welcomed by people, senior citizens, litterateurs and educationists.
Participating in the inaugural function, Superintendent of Police Saumya Mishra welcomed the unique step taken by the Collector and hoped the move will greatly help inculcate reading habit among the general public as well as students.
Additional SP Rabi Narayan Barik, district education officer Ranjan Kumar Giri, Sadar BEO Lalima Gloria Dungdung, Subdega BEO Ajay Ekka, Sundargarh Municipality executive officer Ashok Kumar Mishra, Rajgangpur Municipality executive officer Sourindra Routray, district culture officer Anil Kerketta, novelist and former vice-president of Odisha Sahitya Akademi Giri Dandsena, Himanshu Sekhar Guru, president of senior citizens’ association, educationist Ganesh Tripathy, Gopi Krushna Nayak and a host of students and mediapersons were present at the function.