Patna, Nov. 9: The 20th Patna Book Fair starting at Gandhi Maidan tomorrow (Sunday) would be a low-key affair with fewer publications participating in the 10-day event compared to last year.

Officials of the organising committee of the fair today said the sanitisation drill conducted for days at the Maidan following the October 27 blasts and other festivals did not allow them much time to arrange for the event.

State education minister P.K Shahi would inaugurate the fair, being organised by the Centre for Readership Development, at 3pm tomorrow, while popular singer Sharda Sinha would grace the occasion.

The fair can be accessed from the Maidan gate, which is opposite Magadh Mahila College on the north. The main gate would have barricaded entry and exit points besides an emergency exit gate. “We got possession of the Maidan on November 3 and started the preparations. Last year, there were 500-plus stalls, while there are 330 this time. From 230 last time, the number of participating publication houses has slid to 140 this year. We expect better sales than last year when we sold books worth more than Rs 3.5 crore,” said H.L Gulati, the chairman of Patna Book Fair.

On the security angle, Amit Jha, another committee official, said: “We have hired guards from a private security agency. Apart from doorframe metal detectors at each entry gate, the securitymen would also carry hand-held detectors to check suspicious persons at the fair. Closed-circuit television cameras would also be installed.” The fair would screen some films by young directors. “The film show would try to motivate the youth through films of popular and young directors,” said Gulati.

The event coincides with the Education Day programme, which will start at Gandhi Maidan from November 11.