Union minister to inaugurate Sambalpur book fair on Jan 24

Sambalpur: The 26th edition of Sambalpur ‘Pustak Mela’ (book fair) will be held at the PHD ground in Ainthapali from Jan 24 to Feb 1.

Organised by the National Book Trust (NBT) in collaboration with Society for Education Tradition and Unity (SETU) and the Sambalpur administration, the fair aims to promote reading habits among children and youth while strengthening literary awareness at the grassroots level.


NBT director Yuvraj Malik said on Thursday that the book fair would serve as a platform for readers to engage with a wide range of literary works and interact with authors and publishers.

The fair will be inaugurated at 5:30 pm by Union education minister and local MP Dharmendra Pradhan. Several senior state leaders and local MLAs are expected to attend the inaugural programme.

Over 250 stalls set up by publishers from across the country will offer an extensive collection, including children’s literature, fiction, non-fiction and academic titles. The event will also feature ‘meet the author’ sessions, panel discussions, a dedicated children’s corner, and cultural evenings with performances by noted artists.