Guwahati: The All Assam Publishers and Booksllers Association has requested Dispur to let them organise the 20th Northeast Book Fair at the Assam Engineering Institute (AEI) playground from November 1 to 20.

The association's general secretary Dhiraj Goswami told this correspondent that they would take legal help if the government failed to meet their demand. "We submitted a memorandum to education minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya on Friday. If the government does not heed to our demand, we will approach the court," Goswami said.

The association is in a fix as the state government has decided to hold two events at the venue at the same time.

The Northeast Book Fair, which began its journey at Judges Field in 1995, is the largest book fair in the region. Later, the venue was shifted to AEI playground as the government restricted public events at Judges Field. The fair is held annually in November.

The organisers had, in April, booked the AEI playground from November 1 to 20. They made payments and contacted publication houses to participate in the fair.

However, the government later told them that the Publication Board Assam, its publication wing, would organise a children's book fair and festival at the venue at that time.

"Nine publication houses have already confirmed their participation. But now uncertainty looms on the fair," Goswami said.