Vijayawada: The foundation stone for Amaravati's Central Library will be laid in July, with construction expected to be completed within two years, State Library Council Chairman Gonuguntla Koteshwara Rao announced on Sunday.

Speaking at the flagging off of a library awareness bus tour in Vijayawada, Koteshwara Rao said the Andhra Pradesh government was committed to reviving and modernising libraries across the state. He added that efforts would be made to expedite book procurement through the Library Department and raise issues related to library modernisation with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Education Minister Nara Lokesh.

The bus tour, organised to promote the importance of libraries, was flagged off by NTR District Collector G. Lakshmisha at the Vijayawada Book Festival Society library near the Civil Courts. He said such initiatives encourage younger generations to view libraries as centres of knowledge and assured government support for writers and literary activities.

During the event, three books—Kavitvam Kurisindi by Chennapragada Sharma, Avakai Shatakam by MNV Prasad and Arudra Saptati Utsavam by SR Prithvi—were released.

As part of the programme, writers, poets and literary enthusiasts from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana visited Tagore Library, Rammohan Library, Hanumantharay Grandhalayam and Sarvottama Grandhalayam in Vijayawada. The event concluded with the felicitation of Ugadi award recipient Gabbita Durgaprasad.