Chapter II THE

(1) There shall be established by the Government by notification for the State of Telangana a parishad by the name of “The Telangana Grandhalaya Parishad”. (2) The headquarters of the Parishad shall be at Hyderabad. (3) The Parishad shall be a body corporate, having perpetual succession and a common seal with power subject to the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder, to acquire, hold and dispose of property and to enter into contracts and shall by the said name sue and be sued. (4) The Parishad shall consist of the following members, namely:- (a) a Chairman to be appointed by the Government from among the persons who have rendered eminent service for the cause of education and library movement; (b) the Director of Public Libraries, who shall be the Member-Secretary; and (c) seven members to be nominated by the Government of whom,- (i) one shall be expert having special knowledge of library science; (ii) two shall be from among those who have rendered service for the development of library movement and education; (iii) one shall be a person representing the recognised aided libraries; (iv) one shall be from among the Chairmen of the Zilla Grandhalaya Samsthas; (v) one shall be from among the Secretaries of the Zilla Grandhalaya Samsthas; and (vi) the Chief Librarian, State Central Library, Hyderabad shall be member; ex-officio.

The objects of the Parishad shall be– (i) to organise and promote library service in the State; (ii) to establish, equip, maintain and develop an integrated, comprehensive and efficient library service in the State; (iii) to augment the supply of books and periodicals to all the libraries in the State; (iv) to develop infrastructural facilities such as buildings, furniture, equipment to all public libraries and Zilla Grandhalaya Samsthas in the State; (v) to raise finances and regulate their usage for the promotion of library service; (vi) to undertake other related activities; (vii) to augment the income of the Parishad and Zilla Grandhalaya Samsthas and suggest ways and means for raising additional resources; and (viii) to prepare long term and short term plans for improving the library service in the State and also to supervise the implementation of approved plans.

The Chairman shall be Head of the Parishad and shall preside over all its meetings. He shall supervise the implementation of the policies and programmes of the Parishad and exercise such other powers and perform such other functions as may be prescribed.

(1) The Chairman of the Parishad shall be entitled to such salary and allowances and shall be subject to such conditions of service as may from time to time be prescribed. (2) The Chairman and every Member of the Parishad, other than the ex-officio member, shall hold office during the pleasure of the Government. (3) The other members of the Parishad shall receive such allowances as may be prescribed.

For the purposes of this Act, the Government shall constitute a separate Department of Public Libraries and appoint a Director for that Department. The Director so appointed shall, subject to the control of the Government— (a) supervise the State Central Library and the branches of such library; (b) superintend and direct all matters relating to public libraries; (c) declare in accordance with the rules made under this Act, what libraries are eligible for aid from the Government and supervise and direct all matters relating to such libraries; (d) direct and control the work of all Zilla Grandhalaya Samsthas under this Act in the manner prescribed; (e) XXX (f) submit reports to the Committee on the working of libraries, whenever necessary; (g) publish annually a bibliography of all the books published in the State in any language other than English or Sanskrit; (h) perform such other duties and exercise such other powers as are imposed or conferred on him by this Act or the rules made thereunder; (i) arrange for centralised classification, cataloguing, inter-library loan, co-ordination of book selection and maintenance of copyright registry; (j) XXX (k) to deal with all the administrative matters pertaining to appointments, postings, transfers, promotions and disciplinary action on the staff of Parishad and Zilla Grandhalaya Samsthas.

(1) For the purposes of organising and administering public libraries in the State, there shall be constituted Zilla Grandhalaya Samsthas, one for the City of Hyderabad by the name of the Hyderabad City Grandhalaya Samstha, one

(1) Every member of a Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha not being an ex-officio member shall hold office during the pleasure of the Government. (2) A member nominated to the Zilla Grandhalaya Samastha in his capacity as a holder of particular office shall, if he ceases to be the holder of that office, cease to be a member of the Zilla Grandhalaya Samastha. (3) Save as otherwise provided in this Act, the Chairman of a Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha shall hold office during the pleasure of the Governor. The Chairman shall, however, cease to hold office, before the expiration of such term on his ceasing to be a member of the Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha.

A vacancy occurring in the office of a nominated member of a Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha before the expiration of his term shall be filled by nomination of another person in the manner provided in section 10, and the person so nominated shall hold office for the residue of the term of his predecessor.

(1) A Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha may,— (a) provide suitable lands and buildings for public libraries and also the furniture, fittings, materials and conveniences requisite therefor; (b) stock such libraries with books, periodicals, news-papers, manuscripts, maps, works and specimens of art and science, lantern slides, films, cinema projectors, recorders and the like: Provided that the books that may be stocked in the libraries shall be selected from the list of books approved from time to time by the Parishad: Provided further that the Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha shall stock also books and periodicals as may be directed, from time to time, by the Parishad or by an officer authorised by the Parishad in this behalf, the aggregate value whereof shall not be less than twenty five percent of the provision made in the budget of that Samstha for the purpose of this clause; (c) [XXX] (d) with the previous sanction of the Director, shift or close any public library mentioned in sub-clause (a) of clause (9) of section 2, or dis-continue aid to any other public library, the payment of which is regulated by rules made under this Act; (e) accept any gift or endowment for any purpose connected with its activities: Provided that no gift or endowment of an immovable property shall be accepted without the previous sanction of the Government; (f) provide for lectures and the holding of classes and conduct other activities connected with public library service including social education; (g) with the consent of the management and the previous sanction of the Parishad or an officer authorised by the Parishad in this behalf acquire any library on such conditions as may be approved by the Parishad or an officer authorised by the Parishad in this behalf; (h) distribute grants for public libraries, and social education purposes; (h-1) with the previous approval of the Director, organise, or participate in, conferences for the discussion of matters relating to the development of public libraries and the library service; (i) in general, do everything necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. (2) Nothing in sub-section (1) shall apply to a library maintained by the Government.

(1) As soon as possible after a Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha is constituted, and thereafter as often as may be required by the Parishad, every Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha shall, and whenever it considers it necessary so to do, a Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha may, prepare a scheme for establishing libraries and for spreading library service within its area in such form and manner as may be prescribed, and submit it to the Parishad for sanction. The Parishad may sanction it with such alterations, if any, as the Parishad may think fit after giving the Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha an opportunity to make its representations, if any, in respect of such alterations and the Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha shall thereupon give effect to the scheme so sanctioned by the Parishad. (2) The Parishad may on application by the Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha concerned, modify any scheme sanctioned under sub-section (1) or replace it by a new scheme.

(1) A Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha may appoint an executive committee consisting of such of its members as it may deem fit and delegate to such committee any of its powers or functions under this Act except the power to levy library cess, to borrow money, to dispose of immovable property, and to pass the budget, accounts and the audit and annual reports. (2) A Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha may also, from time to time, appoint sub-committees to inquire into and report or advise on any matters which it may refer to them.

No act of the Parishad or a Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha shall be deemed to be invalid by reason only of the existence of any vacancy in, or any defect in the constitution of, that authority.

(1) All property, acquired or held in any area by the Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha for the purpose of any public library defined in sub-clause (a) of clause (9) of section 2 shall vest in the Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha of that area. (2) Any immovable property required by the Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha shall be deemed to be land needed for a public purpose within the meaning of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (Central Act 1 of 1894) and may be acquired under that Act.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder, a Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha may make bye-laws, generally to carry out the purposes of this Act. (2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such bye-laws may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:— (a) the admission of the public to the public libraries in its area on such conditions as it may specify: Provided that no fees shall be charged for such admission; (b) the guarantee or security to be furnished by persons desiring to use such libraries, against injury to or misuse, destruction or loss of the property of such libraries; (c) the manner in which the property of such libraries may be used and the protection of such property from injury, misuse, destruction or loss; (d) the authority to be exercised by its officers and servants in the matter of exclusion or removal from any such library, of any person who contravenes or does not comply with the provisions of this Act or the rules or by-laws made thereunder; (e) Zilla Grandhalaya Samsthas shall meet once in three months. 1/3rd of the existing Members are necessary to constitute a quorum at the Meeting: Provided that a Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha shall not have power to make any bye-laws affecting a public library mentioned in sub-clause (11) or sub-clause (12) of section 2. (3) The Director may modify or cancel any bye-law made by a Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha under sub-section (2): Provided that before modifying or cancelling any bye-law, the Director shall give the Zilla Grandhalaya Samstha concerned a reasonable opportunity to make its representations in the matter.