High Court on Monday directed the State government to make arrangements for the 11th edition of the Bangalore Book Festival which will be held from March 4 to 10 as the event to be held at Palace Grounds.
Justice A S Bopanna allowed a petition filed by the Bangalore Book Sellers and Publishers Association, directing the government to ensure that no other event or function go along with the book festival.
During the hearing, Justice Bopanna observed that an event like the book festival benefitted students, professors, litterateurs and authors and such events must be encouraged and supported by the government.
The Bangalore Book Sellers and Publishers Association, organizers of the book festival, cancelled the event in 2013 when the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms granted permission to conduct the event at Palace Grounds for only three days as against a request for 10 days.
The organisers wanted permission under different names like the Federation of Publishers in India (three days), Bangalore Book Sellers and Publishers Association (three days), VGR Communication (three days) and the India Book House (one day), for conducting the book festival as the three days permission was not enough for the event and it had to be spread over at least two weekends for more people to visit, but the government didn’t keep in mind their case.