The Supreme Court on October 5 issued notice to the Centre and required a detailed affidavit on the proposed relocation of the Central Secretariat Library from Shastri Bhavan in New Delhi. The government must set out the area earmarked for the library and supply actual layout plans under the Central Vista redevelopment.
Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva asked whether the proposed premises could accommodate the collection at Shastri Bhavan as well as books kept in cartons at R K Puram. The hearing referred to about two lakh books in the latter location. The bench also questioned how conference rooms and other facilities would affect the space actually available for storing books.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati told the court that space had been allocated and that a larger facility across two floors was being planned. She presented a report signed by the Central Vista director. The bench nevertheless required a formal affidavit with detailed plans, rather than accepting the report alone as the government’s assurance.
The 135-year-old institution has been housed at Shastri Bhavan since 1969 and occupies roughly 5,500 square metres across four floors. Its holdings include rare books, official records and gazetteers. Concern over suitable accommodation arose because the building is proposed for demolition as part of the redevelopment, putting the future location of this extensive collection under scrutiny.
The court appointed senior advocate Haripriya Padmanabhan to assist it as amicus curiae. Monday’s directions advance the case registered on October 3 from an initial examination to a request for specific accommodation plans. They do not amount to approval of a replacement library or a final finding that the proposed space is adequate.