Udhayanidhi Stalin inaugurates renovated Francis Library building

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Monday inaugurated the rebuilt Francis Library at Varaganeri, a public library that had remained in disuse for more than a decade. The facility has been constructed at a cost of ₹26.60 lakh by the Tiruchi City Corporation.

The old building, located in Ward 30 of Zone 2, was demolished to make way for a modern structure.

The original Francis Library was established in 1952 by Dravidar Kazhagam founder Periyar E.V. Ramasamy in honour of Francis, a prominent leader from Varaganeri and then DK District Secretary. The library was inaugurated during Francis’s lifetime, in recognition of his close association with Periyar and his contributions to the Dravidian movement. Over the decades, the structure fell into disrepair, eventually becoming unusable. A few years ago, the Tiruchi City Corporation took over the building and undertook its restoration.

Ministers K.N. Nehru (Municipal Administration) and Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi (School Education) were present.

Official sources from the corporation said the new library would accommodate up to 15 readers at a time and was equipped with a range of resources, including newspapers, children’s literature, books on science and the arts, and materials for competitive exam preparation. A dedicated library staff member had been appointed to assist visitors.

District Collector V. Saravanan, Tiruchi East MLA Inigo S. Irudhayaraj, Deputy Mayor G. Divya, and Corporation Commissioner L. Madhubalan were present.