Guild asks WB govt for permanent Book Fair venue
The Publishers and Booksellers Guild, which could not hold the Kolkata Book Fair this year after a Calcutta High Court order, on Monday said it would be unfortunate if the state government failed to provide a permanent venue for this mega event ne...
By PTI |
KOLKATA: The Publishers and Booksellers Guild, which could not hold the Kolkata Book Fair this year after a Calcutta High Court order, on Monday said it would be unfortunate if the state government failed to provide a permanent venue for this mega event next year.
"It is the government's duty to provide a venue," Guild Secretary Tridib Chatterjee said.
The Guild was to hold the fair at the Park Circus ground this year, but the court stopped it citing environmental pollution. The government has now decided to organise an 'alternative' book fair at the Salt Lake Stadium in March.
Referring to the stadium, where last year's fair was also held, Chatterjee said "Salt Lake cannot be an alternative venue because of the poor turnout of visitors due to communication problem".
"Only one third of the estimated 22 lakh turned out and due to this, the medium and small publishers had to incur huge losses last year," Chatterjee said.
Reiterating that the Maidan, a green stretch in the heart of the city, is the best choice for the fair, he said "Maidan has an open space of 28 acres and communication facilities are good, so this is the ideal place for the book fair."
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"The USP of the Kolkata Book Fair is its open space and huge turnout. If this is not there then the Book Fair will lose its position internationally," he said, hinting that they might take up the matter with the Supreme Court. Download
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