The demonetisation drive seems to be casting its somber shadows on the National Khadi and Village Industry Fair 2016 being organized by the state government at Parade Ground in the city to promote khadi and hand- made products form villages of different states. It started on November 30 and would continue till December 30. The usual crowds seen at such fairs which showcase village crafts ranging from clothes, foot wears, spices, wooden artifacts, paintings to shell -made jewelries are eluding the fair this time, lamented those who have pitched stalls in a large number in the hope that their merchandise would fetch a good volume of returns.
Roshni, a vendor from Uttarkashi who sells woolen clothes, said that the people who are thronging around her stall are in no mood to buy anything. “They say that they are short of cash in the new currency. The volume of sale has dwindled to nearly 80 percent of what we sold in the previous fair. The trend if it continues would hit us hard,” she said despairingly.
Another vendor, Bhanupratap Gupta from Doiwala selling ayurvedic products, recounted the same story of low sale volume. “The sale is poor despite the fact that paytm facility is available here. The people are hesitating to spend much money because of the looming cash crisis, post demonetization. The paytm facility is coming to no avail with most of them being unacquainted with it,” he said. Arman who has come from Bihar to sell shell -made jewelries said that this being his maiden trip to the city, things were disappointing. “I wonder how I would make up the loss I am likely to incur because of the low volume of sale,” he muttered despondently.
Jithu from Mysore, who is selling crafts and paintings on wood, echoed the same despair, saying that it would prove a damper as contrasted to the last one he had participated in Dehradun. “I earned a substantial profit from the fair the last time. This time, things are gloomy. The products remaining unsold, I would be in difficulty to manage even what I am spending,” he said.