Tirumala shop owners' fate overturned by Coronavirus outbreak

• Lack of business all the shops were seen as shut down on hill shrine

Tirupati: Until four months ago they were in a rich position and earning plenty of money by doing business, as well as they spend money lavishly for personal needs.

Now they are struggling to earn their daily bread. All of a sudden Tirumala shop owners fate overturned in the form of Covid-19 outbreak. Due to virus spread fear devotees are not coming forward for shopping in Tirumala. By this reason, all the businesses in the hill shrine were shut down during the last four months.

After lockdown relaxed by the government also the situation is not changed. As of now, all the shops were seen in closing. Before the COVID-19 outbreak around 1600 shops and 600 licensed hawkers used to do the business. In those days shops owners and workers were in a comfortable position and spending money lavishly for anything. Now they are in an unable position to pay shops rents of Rs 3,000 to 5000 to TTD. Even they are searching for money to paying minimum electricity charges for closing shops.

Only below 25 shops which are located nearby the temple are doing business. Per day at least Rs 500 income they have not seen after reopening the business in Tirumala hills. This is a very pathetic situation for them.

Earlier, in general days on Tirumala hill shrine shop owners used to do the business around Rs 1to 2crores per day. This would touch up to Rs 3to4 crores in Brahmotsavams days. Now every day around 14,000 devotees are coming to Tirumala for having Srivari Darshan. Whereas they are not showing interest in shopping in the hill shrine. After darshan directly they get down to Tirupati city.

Now the entire situation was overturned and literally some of the shop workers are in begging condition, some of them are going to daily labour work in Tirupati city for existence.

For example, a shop owner A Subramanyam invested Rs 5 lakhs for his business in a shop on hill shrine. Earlier he was earning at least Rs 10,000 to 15000 per day, but after lockdown, though the officials permitted him to do the business at hill town, devotees are not coming for shopping by the COVID-19 fear. In the circumstance, he has lost his business and investment Rs 5 lakh too. In the line, few of the shop owners are also facing hardship to repay their lakhs of rupees debts which they took from private moneylenders at Rs 5, Rs 10 rate of interest for doing business.

Many of the Tirumala residents and shop owners are facing a severe financial crisis and struggling for survival. After the continuous lockdown unlocking process was going on as phase vice, the entire c financial activities and business were resumed in the country. But here the situation is different and businesses were not resumed. In the meanwhile, TTD did not give any exemption on paying of shops rent and electricity charges during the COVID-19 lockdown four months. Tirumala welfare association is demanding the TTD authorities to take into consideration to give exemption at least for paying electricity charges.