Shopping hubs in Kolkata, Howrah count losses, stare at back-to-back bad days
Times of India | 28 August 2024
12 Kolkata: Business in the city’s central business district, traditional shopping hubs and Mangla Haat in Howrah took a hit on Tuesday as most traders kept their establishments shut fearing chaos and unrest during the ‘Chhatra Samaj’ march to Nabanna. The overall loss is pegged to cross over Rs 800 crore. The traders fear they will have to count more losses owing to Wednesday’s 12- hour bandh.
In New Market and Esplanade, shops were open but there were hardly any customers. “This is bad news for business, particularly at a time when people do shopping for the festive season. Several shops and markets in the central business district remained shut due to the Nabanna march. On Wednesday, too, business will suffer due to the bandh,” said Sushil Poddar, president of the Confederation of West Bengal Trade Associations.
On Tuesday, Burrabazar was hit the hardest with a rally headed to Nabanna passing through MG Road. Most of the markets and shops in College Street (from where the rally started), MG Road, Kalakar Street, Jamunalal Bajaj Street, Canning Street and Brabourne Road remained shut throughout the day.
“I decided to keep the shop shut fearing trouble and that is exactly what has happened. Protesters were hurling stones and the cops were chasing them into the lanes and bylanes,” said Parag Beniwal, owner of a sari showroom. “Close to 70% of the market was shut on Tuesday,” said Vikas Trivedi, secretary of the Burrabazar Textile Traders’ Welfare Association.
Several market associations held online meetings with their members on Tuesday evening to decide what they would do on Wednesday. “The govt has assured us of all the help but traders are scared for their safety. We have decided to watch the situation for a couple of hours before opening the market,” said the secretary of a popular market on Canning Street.
Traders in Mangla Haat in Howrah, too, could not set up their shops. Here, traders conduct business from Sunday to Tuesday. According to the Mangalhat Traders' Association and the Mangla Haat Consumer Association, over Rs 450 crore worth of readymade garments are traded in two and a half days. Of this, business worth Rs 250-300 crore takes place on Tuesdays.