A Maidan clean-up worker uncovers a mound of garbage on the Maidan. Picture by Amit Datta

Bangiya Prakashak O Pustak Bikreta Sabha on Monday called off its parallel book fair on Park Circus Maidan, blaming the Calcutta Municipal Corporation for not cooperating with it at the eleventh hour.

The parallel fair was scheduled from February 7 to February 21. Sabha members alleged that after approving all their plans, the civic body played spoilsport when they went to deposit the money — Rs 1 lakh — on behalf of the event managers.

“Mayoral council member (parks) Faiyaz Ahmed Khan said he could not accept the amount because of some official reasons. It came as a shock to us. We had planned everything and the fair was to open on February 7,” said agitated Joydeb Ghosh, president of the Sabha.

Rubbishing all allegations, mayoral council member Khan said none of the Sabha members had visited him for any book fair on Park Circus Maidan.

The Sabha, with over 2,200 members, maintained that it would not stop fellow-members from joining the book fair organised by Publishers and Booksellers Guild at Salt Lake Stadium.

Transport minister Subhas Chakraborty said during the day that he had received the IFA’s clearance for holding the India vs Myanmar match in the stadium on February 14, while the book fair will be on.

A day after the official deadline for handing over the Maidan to the army, green activist Subhas Dutta visited the spot to take stock of the situation.