Protest bad for business

Shopkeepers suffered huge losses during Ramdev's agitation

Protest bad for business

Shopkeepers suffered huge losses during Ramdev's agitation

While local vendors have made a quick buck when Ramdev's supporters flocked the Ramlila Grounds, businessmen in the area suffered huge losses as Asaf Ali Road leading to the grounds was blocked.
Shopkeepers near the grounds are happy that the agitation has ended earlier than it was scheduled to. A loss Rs 4 crore was incurred by businessmen in the area.

A deserted Pragati Service Station

Usha International showroom

Au00a0tyre shop. Pics/Mid Day

Vivek Malik, manager of Pragati Service Station which is located near the grounds, said that he had to suffer a loss of around Rs 20,000 as no one came to buy petrol or to service their car during the agitation. "I know that they are protesting for a good cause but our business is badly hit. On the first day of Baba Ramdev's protest, hardly one litre petrol was sold," he said.

An attendant at Paras Auto Service, another petrol pump in the area, was seen sitting idle as no customer turned up. Its manager Rakesh was not seen anywhere around. Dinesh, the attendant, said, "Since our petrol pump was started 48 years ago, it is the first time that we have suffered such huge loses," he said. A tyre shop owner, Baljeet Singh Bakshi, said he earned only Rs 15 on Saturday.u00a0u00a0

Baba had compelled us to sit on hunger strike as our business was in red due to the agitation," said Baljeet.
Manish Bhargava, the manager of Usha International retail showroom, said on Saturday only a few customers visited his shop in comparison to other days. "Sale was down on Saturday as the entry roads was blocked by police. In our 50-year-old history, it is the first time that such a thing happened," said he.