Kolkata Book Fair uncertain as HC rejects fair in Parade Ground

Kolkata, Jan 12 (UNI) The fate of Kolkata book fair hangs in balance with Calcutta High Court rejecting its organisers petition to hold the fair in the city's Brigade Parade ground.

Kolkata book fair, which attracts publishers and book sellers across the world, started in the Brigade Parade ground, which is under the custody of the Army, 31 years ago.

The book fair is scheduled to begin on January 31 next.

A two judge bench comprising Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharyya and Justice K K Prasad rejected the petition saying that it was not a public interest litigation.

The Publishers and Book Sellers Guild filed the petition last week praying for permission to hold the fair on its original ground saying that the book fair was an important cultural event which is visited by millions of book lovers from different parts of the country.

The Guild argued that the fair needed vast area of open space which only the Brigade Parade ground could offer with its good transport connectivity with other parts of the city.

Opposing the petition environment activist Subhas Dutta told the court that the book fair could not be allowed on the Brigade Parade Ground as it destroys the greenery of the open space and its organisers were seeking permission to hold the fair on the ground every year after the court ruled that no fair could be held on the ground of pollution.

The high court in 2002 passed the order banning any fair.

UNI