KOLKATA: The rain threat during puja days is keeping businessmen, who have taken stalls on rent around multiple big ticket pandals in the city, worried since many of them have paid a premium hoping for good business on puja days for the first time in two years.
Calling out to revellers coming out of FD Block Durga Puja pandal in Salt Lake, young Akshat Bhalotia was enthusiastic as he handed out pamphlets to prospective customers and offered them a choice from an array of cookies, fries, finger foods and bakery items to choose from. But what's keeping him and his mother worried is the rain forecast during puja days that may not only dampen the puja spirit but also hurt them financially.
"We have paid Rs 80,000 for eight days for this stall. Business has been good during the run-up to the pujas courtesy an early opening and pleasant weather. But if it rains during the puja days, it will certainly hurt us a lot," said Bhalotia, a resident of EC Block in Salt Lake.
Rajesh Das, an employee of Thackers' Dairy, who is managing a 4ft x 8ft stall near Ekdalia Evergreen club's main entrance, said he has already apprised his employers about a dip in sales during the main puja days because of the rain alert. But such has been the crowd rush since the start of the week, that it is sort of making up for a possible loss in the coming days.
"This is the first time we have set our stall here hoping for good business after two years. But such has been the fate that there is a rain forecast in the puja days that can hamper our business. Since the alert, we have been praying before the rain God who has been kind to us in the last few days and we just hope that God remains kind till Dwadashi as well," said Das.
Gopal Halder of Mallika Restaurant, who has set up as many as eight makeshift stalls near as many puja pandals across Kolkata, said if it rains heavily during the puja days, he will not even have enough money to pay his 250-plus employees who are daily wage earners and look up to these puja days for some much needed spike in income.
"We pay anything between Rs 80,000 and Rs 1 lakh for a space near puja premises. If we can't make enough business on all puja days, it will be difficult to pay all my employees the promised amounts," said Halder, attending customers coming out of Sreebhumi Sporting Club at his makeshift Lake Town stall.