High Court allows book festival at Palace Grounds

 The 11th edition of the Bangalore Book Festival will be held from March 4 to 10 as the High Court on Monday directed the State government to make arrangements for 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 overlapped 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 by the government. The Bangalore Book Sellers and Publishers Association, organisers of the book festival, cancelled the event in 2013 after the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms gave them permission to conduct the event at Palace Grounds for only three days as against a request for 10 days.

The organisers, in their petition, contended that conducting the book festival for three days was not viable as the event had to be spread over at least two weekends for more people to visit. They sought 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), but the government didn't consider their case.