Book Fair: State to waive off temporary trade license fees for participants

KOLKATA: State Urban and Municipal Affairs department has decided to waive the temporary trade license fees for the participants of the International Kolkata Book Fair (IKBF) on Sunday.

Meanwhile, on Sunday around two lakh people visited the book fair. On Saturday, around one lakh footfall was recorded in the fair. Till Sunday, books worth around Rs 6 crore were sold. Tridib Kumar Chattopadhyay, General Secretary of the guild said: "We are getting a good response from the people."

Chandrima Bhattacharya, Urban and Municipal Affairs minister on Sunday said: "As per our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's direction to stay by the people, we have waived the trade license fees so that the publishers get a relief. Those who have already paid the tax will get a refund."

Three books of state Industry and Parliamentary Affairs minister Partha Chatterjee were released at the Book Fair on Sunday. Apart from Chatterjee, state Urban Development minister Chandrima Bhattacharjee, state Agriculture minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, state Women & Child Development minister Shashi Panja and MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy were present.

The title of the two Bengali books by Chatterjee are — 'Rajbhavan –Er Andarmahale' and Noy Netar Noy Kahan' while the English book is 'Our Struggles for the People's Cause — A Journey with Mamata Banerjee'.

According to the Publishers' and BookSellers Guild, waiving of the trade license fees will help the publishers and booksellers as the tax amount this year was calculated according to the size of the stall starting from Rs 600.

Sudhangshu Dey, president of the guild, on Sunday said it was a major decision taken by the state government which would help the book sellers.

"We are thankful to the Chief Minister and Urban and Municipal Affairs minister for the decision," he added.

Since 12 noon on Sunday, traffic movement was slowed down in and around Karunamoyee as a large number of people were heading towards the book fair. Several times, the designated parking places were full and cops had to divert the cars.

To accommodate cars, people were allowed to park on the service road in front of the Bikash Bhavan, Jalasmpad Bhavan. Also the stretch between the tank number 9 and Arakshya Bhavan on the both flanks were used to park cars in one line. Bidhannagar Traffic Police deputed a good number of police personnel to manage traffic. Meanwhile, an estimated 6 lakh people visited the 45th International Kolkata Book Fair from February 28 till March 5, a senior official of the Publishers and BookSellers Guild said.

He said while 24 lakh visitors had come to the book fair in 2020, this year the turnout was expected to cross 20 lakh figure.