Another legal cloud over Kolkata Book Fair

Express news service Posted: Feb 22, 2008 at 0155 hrs
Kolkata, February 21 The holding of the 2008 Book fair seems to be jinxed after an advocate filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Calcutta High Court on Thursday challenging the government’s decision to organise the fair at the Salt Lake Stadium from March 1.

In his petition, Tapash Kumar Chatterjee, argued how could the government’s February 9 notification of holding the fair at the stadium could be valid when the Cabinet has not yet given a nod for it. The stadium is the state government’s property and is meant for holding sports events only, he added.

Chatterjee alleged that the state sports department did not give permission to the Indian Football Federation (IFA) for holding the IFA Shield at the stadium in March only for the sake of the book fair.

By not allowing the IFA to hold the tournament, the sport lovers are at the receiving end, he further stated.

The petitioner also pointed to the amount of pollution that the fair will create and said that by holding the fair there it would affect patients in the two hospitals located very close to the stadium.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice SS Nijjar will be hearing the case on Friday.

Earlier, the high Court had not allowed holding of the fair at the Maidan and Park Circus, citing pollution reason.