All Assam Publishers Association, the organiser of the North East Book Fair, has postponed the 22nd edition of the annual fair by a year.

The book fair was earlier postponed from November 2020 to January-February 2021.

However, the public advisory committee meeting of the fair decided that since no dates were available in January and February 2021, and participants are reluctant to take part because of COVID-19, the 22nd edition has been postponed to November next year.

Besides, sources informed that exams of schools and colleges would be scheduled during that period (January-February) while there has been no commitment from sponsors as well owing to the uncertainty in view of the pandemic.

“We therefore urge the state government to allot the Assam Engineering Institute playground at Chandmari in November every year to organise the North East Book Fair.

The advisory committee also requests the government for monetary support to organise the book fair in the future,” a statement from the publishers’ association said on December 24.

“All book fairs in the country have been affected due to the pandemic this year. As per the all India schedule, most of the book fairs have been cancelled too,” it said.

The association further informed that a request to organise the North East Book Fair by maintaining all COVID protocols was made to the state education minister in October this year.

“But unfortunately we did not receive any response,” it added. Source: The Northeast Today