UWAHATI: Publication Board Assam (PBA) has for the first time adopted the franchise model to operate its outlets at the district level besides planning to take book fairs to rural and semi-urban areas of the state.
As it is, a bookstall of PBA in Jorhat has already been streamlined under the private-public partnership model where the onus will be on the franchisee to run the outlet. The bookstores under this arrangement will be branded under PBA and have books published by it at a discount of 50 per cent.
“The plan is to have 10 such outlets in two years from now. An outlet in Jorhat has been brought under the PPP model already. Soon we will franchises in Golaghat, Nalbari, Pathsala, Dibrugarh and Sivasagar. The idea behind this initiative is to make the books saleable, operations sustainable while promoting readership across the smaller towns of the state,” Pramod Kalita, the secretary of the board, told The Shillong Timeshere on Sunday.
The board is also setting up a regional office in Jorhat soon.
“This is the first such initiative by a publication board in the region and perhaps in the country,” Kalita claimed.
PBA is currently organising the 32nd edition of the Guwahati Book Fair here with participation of 150 book stalls including 12 publication houses from Bangladesh. The fest has since the past three years generated significant revenue. Last year, it generated up to Rs 8 crore, aided by a state project.
“Over three editions now, including the current one, the board has made a concerted endeavour to promote language and literature of indigenous communities. Last year, we had organised Karbi and Barak Festivals apart from publishing a compilation of Karbi literature. This time, we are promoting literary works of Tiwa and Nepali communities. The coming years will feature works of more communities,” Kalita said.
He further said the board has taken up a long-term plan to organise more book fairs in the rural and semi-urban areas of Assam.
“A Xeuj Granthamela (Green Book Fair) is being organised for the first time by the board at Bokakhat under the aegis of the tea tribes’ welfare department of the state government and in association with the Assam Chah Janagosthi Sahitya Sabha from January 6, 2019,” Kalita informed.
“A Grameen Book Fair will be organised in Nalbari shortly while more fairs, including one exclusively for children, will be organised both in Guwahati and outside in the coming years,” he added.