Odisha’s Largest Central Library Opens in kataka

Odisha’s largest central library, the Bishwanath Pandit Central Library and Research Centre, was inaugurated in Cuttack on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation.

Built at a cost of Rs 42 crore, the facility was opened by Housing & Urban Development Minister Krushnachandra Mahapatra, with Mayor Subas Singh presiding.

Spread across three acres, the four‑storey building can accommodate 1,700 readers at a time and houses over one lakh books.

Equipped with a modern Library Management System (LMS), the centre offers internet access, e‑library services, photocopying, a children’s reading area, and research facilities.

Additional amenities include an 84‑seat auditorium, a 100‑seat AV conference hall, a 72‑seat cafeteria, basement parking, and facilities for differently‑abled visitors.

The event also saw the felicitation of 35 publishers from Odisha and the unveiling of the 150‑year celebration logo of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation.

Dignitaries including MLAs Sofia Firdaus, Souvik Biswal, Prakash Sethi, Deputy Mayor Damayanti Majhi, District Collector Dattatreya Bhausaheb Sindhe, and Cuttack DCP Rishikesh Dyanadeo attended the ceremony.

Additionally, the foundation stone was laid virtually for a Rs 21 crore cowshed project at Gurudijhatia.

The library is expected to become a landmark hub for knowledge, research, and reading culture in Odisha.