The State Government decision for weekend shutdown in the town area has impacted many businessmen in Kalahandi district.
On every Tuesday and Saturday, weekly market seats in Bhawanipatna.Due to heavy rush in the weekly haat here, the administrationpostponed it till further orders.
The impact was seen on sellers ofvegetable, pot, broom and other household items who come from villageareas to sell their produce. A broom seller, Kusum Dei from Deypur village said in the weeklyhaat she earned around Rs 800, but the shutdown had impacted herbusiness. “There is no other way. Now, I will have to sell the broomhalf the market price,” she said.
Rukmani, a watermelon seller, said she had brought 300 pieces ofwatermelon but due to shutdown on Saturday and Sunday sale wasaffected.Besides, the gupchup sellers, tiffin sellers, betel shop owners havealso been the worst victim of the night curfew and week end shutdown. The second wave of Corona has hit the bus owners of Kalahandi as thelocal buses are running half their capacity. Sources informed that outof 120 local buses, 15 buses were plying on road from Monday toFriday.
Private Bus Owners' Association, Kalahandi president Prabod Rath said the 8 days shutdown in a month has crippled the business as the local bus owners have to pay Rs 4,000-Rs 4,500 a month on road tax for each local bus depending on the distance of travelling.
“Fearing spread of infection, many passengers are not boarding. Localbus owners had been the worst-hit earlier in the first wave of Coronafollowing the two months lockdown in the country. And in the second wave of Covid-19, weekend shutdown has forced the businessmen to face the same crisis,” Rath said. Even the bus owners are not able to pay the installments each month as they had availed the bank loans.
Some of them submitted their RC books at the RTO office, Rath added. Bira Kishore Praharaj, owner of four buses, said only one bus was plying on road and the rest three were off road.
“The Government has allowed 50 per cent passengers in a bus it is becoming difficult to manage the fuel expenses. We are also paying insurance price which is fixed for each month,” he said.