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A meeting presided over by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was held at Writers’ Buildings today to discuss issues related to the 11-day fair. Chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb, Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray, Kolkata Police Commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakrabarty, Secretary of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild Tridib Chatterjee also attended the meeting.
The discussion focused on how to tackle the traffic chaos the fair might trigger. Several residents have expressed concern over the issue and even threatened to move court to prevent the Guild from organising the fair in the area.
The Guild said they were ready to face any legal battle. “Circuses and Durga pujas are also held at the Park Circus Maidan. If no problem arose then, I believe the book fair will also not create any problem for the residents now,” said Tridib Chatterjee after the meeting.
The government assured that all efforts will be taken to prevent traffic snarls. “Traffic will be properly controlled so that no traffic jam occurs in the area during the time,” said chief secretary Deb.
It was decided in the meeting that two areas — the Gorachand playground and the ground at the rear of Lady Brabourne College Hostel — will be used as parking lots during the fair. “The Kolkata police are also taking several measures which includes converting some roads near Park Circus to one way, turning Surawardhy Avenue into a no-parking zone,” said Chatterjee. He also said the Guild had already spoken to of Park Circus residents and local clubs to allay their fears.
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