Business has been claimed to be affected by rallies and demonstrations amid festive shopping in Delhi. Traders organization CTI has written a letter to the Police Commissioner demanding that rallies not be allowed till November 11.
New Delhi: Before Diwali, Delhi businessmen have expressed concern about rallies and protests. The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) on Tuesday, November 3, wrote to the Delhi Police Commissioner demanding that no major demonstrations be allowed around major markets till Bhaiya Dooj. The organization claims that in the last one month, Delhi’s business has suffered a loss of about Rs 14 thousand crore due to the rallies and the traffic jams caused by them.
What did the traders demand from the Police Commissioner?
CTI has said in its letter that till November 11, rallies, dharnas and protests should not take place in areas like Connaught Place, Jantar Mantar, Ramlila Maidan, India Gate, Rajghat and Delhi Gate. The organization says that there are a large number of shops, markets, hotels and business establishments in these areas. During demonstrations there is jam on the roads. This not only causes difficulty for customers in reaching the market, but also affects the movement of vehicles delivering goods to the shops.
CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal said that the festive season is among the highest selling days of the year for traders. In such a situation, businessmen are facing problems due to frequent road closures and traffic disruptions.
How did the loss of Rs 14 thousand crore occur in one month?
The merchant organization has estimated a business loss of about Rs 14 thousand crore between October 1 and November 1. However, these data have not been independently confirmed. According to CTI, the protests around Jantar Mantar, Connaught Place, Patel Chowk and Janpath in October reduced the movement of customers in the markets.
The organization estimates that between October 1 and 30, business worth about Rs 3,000 crore was affected in areas like Connaught Place, Palika Bazaar, Khan Market, Karol Bagh, Paharganj and Kamla Market. After this, an additional loss of about Rs 11 thousand crore has been claimed due to the big political rally organized at Ramlila Maidan on 1 November. It is said that the biggest impact will be on retail and wholesale trade.
How many shops remained closed due to the Ramlila Maidan rally?
CTI says that there are about three lakh shops within a radius of five kilometers of Ramlila Maidan. These include big markets like Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazaar, Chawdi Bazaar, Khari Baoli, Kashmiri Gate, Daryaganj and Paharganj. According to the organization, about 2.5 lakh shops in these areas remained closed on November 1. It is estimated that about 80 percent of business activities will be affected by this.
The traders’ organization also claims that the shopping of customers coming from about 100 cities and towns around Delhi was affected. A large number of people from cities like Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Sonipat and Meerut come to Delhi for shopping. According to CTI, around three to four lakh potential customers could not reach the market due to traffic problems.
Transport, hotels and laborers also suffered losses
CTI has mentioned the damage caused to different sectors in its estimate. According to the organization, the November 1 rally caused a loss of about Rs 8,800 crore to the retail and wholesale trade and about Rs 1,500 crore to the transport and logistics sector. Thousands of vehicles deliver goods to the markets every day from industrial areas of Delhi like Narela, Bawana, Okhla, Mayapuri and Mundka. It has been claimed that transportation of goods and delivery of goods to shops was disrupted due to traffic disruption during the rally.
Similarly, the hotel, restaurant and tourism sector is estimated to suffer a loss of around Rs 500 crore. The organization says that bookings of many establishments were canceled and tourists also faced problems. A loss of around Rs 200 crore has been claimed due to the impact on the earnings of daily wage labourers, street vendors, porters, loaders and auto drivers.
Why did the concern of traders increase before Diwali?
This year Dhanteras is on 6th November, Diwali on 8th November and Bhaiya Dooj on 11th November. Shopping is expected to increase in Delhi markets due to festivals. According to Brijesh Goyal, about 20 lakh traders and 75 lakh employees are involved in business in Delhi. The coming days are very important from the point of view of their earnings.
CTI has also told the police that if any organization wants to hold a rally, then alternative places like Burari, Alipur, Jasola and Yamuna Khadar should be fixed for it. Apart from this, there has also been a demand to improve the parking system in the markets and to make the movement of vehicles carrying goods easier.