Civic bodies default on library cess; Kerala State Library Council to initiate legal proceedings
Several municipal corporations in Kerala are facing legal action for failing to remit library cess collected from citizens to the State Library Council. The non-payment has caused a significant financial crisis for the library system.
Why it matters
The failure to transfer statutory funds threatens the operational viability of public libraries, which are essential for community education and literacy.
Multiple Municipal Corporations across Kerala have defaulted on remitting crores of rupees collected as library cess to the State Library Council, pushing it into an unprecedented financial crisis.
Information obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act by Kollam resident and former Kollam taluk library council president Mulavana Rajendran has revealed that local self-government institutions have systematically failed to transfer these statutory funds, which are collected alongside property tax from citizens.
Under the provisions of the Kerala Public Libraries Act of 1989, local authorities are legally mandated to levy a library cess as a 5% surcharge on property and building taxes.
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