In what could constitute as misuse of government funds through preferential treatment, the state transport department has allowed a Calcutta State Transport Corporation bus to be used by an NGO as its mobile library for the past three years. The NGO, Pather Panchali, is run by Ramola Chakraborty, wife of state transport minister Subhas Chakraborty.

Despite the few books available in the library inside the double-decker bus, the sports department, also headed by Subhas Chakraborty, pays the NGO’s volunteers who work as the library’s support staff. The Bidyasagar Bhramyaman Granthagar (Bidyasagar mobile library), which is housed in the CSTC bus, hit the streets in 2004.

Commuters can get in, when the bus is in motion, and leaf through the few titles stacked in the library for a standard bus fare of Rs 5 or Rs 10, according to the distance they travel. One can, however, browse for free when the bus is stationery. But a reality check found hardly any takers for the mobile library concept. The condition of the books — few in number — is deplorable, primarily due to gathering dust on the shelves for long.

But despite support from two government departments, there isn’t a single state government official on board, barring the two CSTC employees. Result: there are no official record or logbook about the library’s readership, or the total footfall of “readers” — not mere commuters — who browse through the titles during the journey.

According to CSTC officials, the fact that the bus is immobile for most part of the day not only deprives it of earnings, through bus fares, it has also proved to be a small drain on the corporation’s coffers. The CSTC has to bear the expenses for fuel and salaries for the driver and conductor — both employed by the transport corporation. CSTC pays around Rs 20,000 per month as salary to the driver and conductor. Besides, the fuel tank is filled up daily before the bus leaves the depot, which also incurs expense.

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