"We have received information there is no permission needed," Festival producer Sanjoy Roy told reporters. The five-day festival ends today.

The Rushdie session – Midnight's Child – is planned for 3.45 pm through a video conference when the India-born author will discuss his childhood, his work, problems faced in the past years and the adaptation of his novel 'Midnight's Children' into a film. Rushdie had pulled out of the event citing death threats. "We are going ahead with the link at 3.45 pm," Roy said.

Roy also said the state government has not asked organisers to give any undertaking.

A delighted Roy said the video session was expected to last for about an hour and it would be according to the law of the land.

"It is needless to say that any conversation here will be according to the law of the land. We hope it will happen peacefully," he added.

Roy said organisers are delighted that the entire controversy over the video link with Rushdie will be put to rest. He said yesterday that Rushdie is currently in Europe.