Technology will make books available in every household: Modi

Ahmedabad, May 1: Emphasising on digitisation of libraries, Gujarat Chief Minister

yesterday said that efforts were underway to make books available in every household through technology.

"Every publisher releases a digital book too. This has increased the reach. Through technology we are trying to spread books to every house," he said during his inaugural speech at the second National Book Fair organised here.

"Literature in one language needs to be spread in other languages as well. Gujarat's books must be available in other languages though the e-book format, he said.

The fair has been organised as part of the 'Vanche Gujarat Mission', a state initiative to encourage reading habit amongst people.

It has been organised by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation in association with National Book Trust and with support of Gujarat Sahitya Parishad and Gujarat Prakashak Mandal.

"The other aspect of technology is that libraries will now be just a click away for people. Importance of e-books is increasing," Modi said.

Saying that Gujarat was the first state to digitise libraries of bar associations, the Chief Minister said "We are the first state to give bar associations with e-library."

Speaking about the widely-held belief that Gujaratis worship money more than knowledge, Modi said "We want to make our Laxmi pujaris, pujaris of Saraswatiji. If there is Saraswatiji, Laxmiji does not go away."

PTI