Cuttack, May 3: The Biswanath Pandit Central Library, an important centre of knowledge run by the municipal corporation, is crying for help.

Shortage of space has become a major cause of concern at the library that is now functioning from a ground-plus-one building near Khannagar.

The Cuttack Municipal Corporation's lack of initiative to improve the infrastructure of the library has triggered ire among students, especially those preparing for various competitive exams.

The library was inaugurated with a provision of 100 seats at Saheed Bhavan in 1981. Later, it shifted to its own building in 1998. Now, it has a seating capacity of over 400 persons, including a separate reading room on the ground floor for around 50 more.

"We have to wait for our turn for a seat at the library. This often creates problems for a lot of students here," said Saubhagya Pani, a civil service aspirant.

Pani added that the library lacks basic facilities such as round-the-clock drinking water supply. Though a water filter has been installed there, it gets out of order every month. Besides, the girls are facing problems due to the dilapidated condition of the library toilets. The furniture, including chairs and study tables, are also in bad shape.

"Due to the absence of proper air ventilation, it is getting tough to concentrate on studies during summer. Two of the four air coolers installed here are defunct," said Satya Pradhan, a student.

Sources said the library had a rich collection of over 53,000 reference books, including various encyclopaedias, textbooks, guidebooks and various books in Odia, Hindi, Bengali and English.

However, the students are demanding immediate purchase of new guidebooks for competitive exam, as the last purchase was made in 2013.

"We are taking steps to improve the infrastructure and address the basic issues here. Plans are on to execute necessary civil works," said A. Sridevi, chairperson of the corporation's standing committee on education and recreation.

The civic body had also made proposals for the construction of an e-library. Computers with Internet connection, online journals and other study materials will be made available at the library soon, Sridevi said.