GUNTUR: Demonetisation has spoilt the festivity mood. The public are demanding increase of withdrawal limit in view of Christmas, New Year and Sankranti festivals. The colourful stars usually start glowing from December but this year only a few stars were seen on display on the roads in Guntur. The purchases in the shopping malls and shops largely decreased.
Purchasing of new clothes and vehicles is common in December and January months, but a majority of the public are struggling for liquid cash showing reluctance to purchases which dampened the businesses. The old bus stand, Naaz centre, Lakshmipuram, Brodipeta, Arundelpeta, Kothapeta and old Guntur are the business areas of Guntur city which do crores of business during December and January. The big malls start their outlets near the Manipuram flyover in spacious premises which now became deserted with the demonetisation effect.
The Vasavi Cloth Market is famous for cloth wholesale business as traders from various areas will purchase stocks during festival season. Nearly 200 wholesalers in the market failed to start the festival business due to the absence of indents from traders. D. Satyam and others said that they are failing to earn money even to pay wages to workers and rents to shops and godowns. They sought brining more currency into circulation and increasing the withdrawal limit on the occasion of festival season to bring liveliness in the markets.
Manager of a big cloth store, G Nagaraju lamented that Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh per day business would be carried from December second week to January second week but now-a-days they are struggling to do at least Rs 25,000 business per day. He explained that liquid cash became very “precious.” So the public are spending the money cautiously according to the priority requirements. He said that only some sections of the society are using smart cards for purchases but the percentage is very less and rued that this season would “lose” due to demonetisation.
Similarly the general, fancy and electrical shops which sell Christmas stars are also is waiting for purchasers. The shopkeepers stated that people are not showing interest to purchase stars but some groups are purchasing big stars to decorate the road entrances. They sought increase of currency circulation to help the public to celebrate the festivals.
