The digital revolution has had a profound effect on the book-reading culture and civic authority wants citizens to take up reading. The move will also help publishers to reach out to people.
The BMC has decided to allot places where publishers can sell their books, in a bid to preserve Marathi reading culture. Accordingly, a place will be allotted for rent at civic-run theatres and swimming pools. The initiative will begin on 'Marathi Bhasha Diwas', observed on Feb 27.
Marathi Bhasha Diwas (Marathi Language Day) is celebrated annually on Feb 27 to honour the birth anniversary of famous Marathi poet Vishnu Vaman Shirwadkar, popularly known as Kusumagraj. The digital revolution has had a profound effect on the book-reading culture and civic authority wants citizens to take up reading. The move will also help publishers to reach out to people.
๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ผ๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐, ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ผ๐น๐
“We have theatres and swimming pools that thousands of people visit daily. We will allot a place measuring 10X8 sq ft in these areas where the publisher can hold book exhibitions and display their books for sale. Our only condition is to sell books at concessional rate of up to 15% and there should be no academic or obscene books for sale,” theatre and swimming pools coordinator Sandeep Vaishampayan said, adding that there has been a good response from Marathi book publishers.
The space will be rented out for Rs6,000 per month and the BMC will supply electricity and water. The publisher can sell books of any language or publication. Space for books exhibitions will be allotted at Prabhodhankar Thackeray Natyamandir (Borivali West), Anna Bhau Sathe Natyamandir (Byculla East), Kalidas Natya Mandir (Mulund West) and Dinanath Mangeshkar Natya Mandir (Vile Parle East).
As for the swimming pools, space to publishers will be allotted at Dadar, Chembur, Kandivali, Dahisar (East and West), Malad (East and West), Andheri (East and West), Vikhroli, Wadala and Worli. Interested publishers can send their applications to the BMC by Feb 15.
