Note ban ruffles feathers of wool traders

Nalgonda: The demonetisation move of the Centre has ruffled feathers of many especially the petty traders who depend on daily sales for their livelihood. Among those hit by the note ban are the roadside woolen garment traders in Nalgonda.

The roadside woolen shops at Clock Tower centre in Nalgonda, near Government Junior College in Miryalaguda, police station in Bhongir, Edga road in Suryapet and Huzurnagar road in Kodad wore a deserted look with no business taking place.

Most vendors, who hail from Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Karnataka, and some locals who get garments from wholesalers are spending hard days with least and negligible sales.

The vendors who have been trading woolen garments every winter for more than two decades are in distress. Few vendors said they did not expect the note ban to hit their business hard.

One of the traders from Bengaluru, Joseph, who owns a shop in Suryapet, informed that they usually have plenty of customers at the start of winter. However this time due to currency ban, the sales have dropped to 30 per cent within days.

“At present, people started coming to purchase but they give Rs 2,000 note for a sweater or rain coat costing between Rs 250 and 600. From where should I get the change?”Neeraja and Rajesh, who run sweaters business at Nalgonda town, said, “In starting days, not to lose business we used to go to banks and petrol bunks for change. Now due to lack of change, we are unable to carry out the business.”

Another vendor Venkanna informed that he has been in the field for the last two decades. “Last year, I used to sell woolen garments worth Rs 20,000 a day. But now the situation has turned grave. Post note ban, he has been selling only woolen garments worth
Rs 3,000 to 5,000 a day.

Expressing his concern over the business, Venkanna said he was worried about repaying his debts of Rs 5 lakh, which he took from a money lender with a condition of repaying within three months.