HC puts Kolkata Book Fair on hold

NO BOOK-ING: The HC last week dismissed a petition by the Guild seeking permission for holding the fair at the Maidan.

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Keywords: Defence Ministry, Calcutta High Court

Kolkata: The Kolkata Book Fair has been put on hold by the Calcutta High Court till its organisers, the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, obtained permission from all relevant authorities.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice K K Prasad, acting on a PIL, directed the Guild to obtain permission from the police, KMC, the state Pollution Control Board and other authorities before going ahead with preparations for the 32nd Book Fair.

The PIL was filed by a High Court advocate Sabyasachi Roychowdhury, challenging permission granted by the Defence Ministry on January 16 to the Guild for holding the fair at the Maidan.

The petitioner said the Army was violating its own stand that no fair would be allowed on the Maidan.

The High Court last week dismissed a petition by the Guild seeking permission for holding the fair at the Maidan and directed it to approach the Defence authorities.

In 2004, the state government had submitted before the High Court that it would not allow anybody to hold any fair at the Maidan.

But in 2006, the State Government filed an application seeking permission from the High Court for holding the book fair at the Maidan. Following this, the Court allowed the book fair to be held at the Maidan last year.