-SATISH HANDA
Ambala City is famous for having Asia’s biggest wholesale cloth market having more than 1000 shops providing employment to nearly 20000 workers and supplying cloth not only to traders in the state but several adjoining states. According to Vishal Batra president of Wholesale Cloth Market Association, the market is witnessing more than 75% drop in sale because of lock down declared by the government due to epidemic outbtrak when all shops remained closed for nearly two months. He said, although state government has given permission to conditionally open the market in lock down-4 period but there is hardly any buyer visiting the market to procure goods in present circumstances. Batra said, large number of traders from neighbouring states Punjab, Himachal, Uttranchal, U.P and Rajasthan visit Ambala wholesale market for purchase of cloth but due to ban over entry in the state at borders it is not possible for buyers to visit market, moreover there is no regular bus or train service available so far as such business has been dropped between 75-80% at present.
According to traders, Ambala wholesale cloth market is dependent on manufacturers from Surat in Gujarat state adversely affected due to corona virus as such Ambala wholesale traders had to place urgent orders to supplier at Delhi and Amritsar to meet urgent demand of seasonal cloth in the absence of which it is not possible to liquidate old stocks. Batra said, Ambala wholesale cloths market facing severe financial crisis at present in the abence of sale and situation turning grim day by day to meet showroom expenses, salaries to staff, bank interests on stocks when the shops are permitted to open only three days in a week and most of the shopkeepers remain waiting for the customers till evening when shopkeepers had to down their shutters at 5 PM as per government directions. Batra said, the only survival for traders in wholesale cloth market is permission by the government to open their showrooms till nigh, rebate on GST and waiving off bank interests. He said, the shopkeepers used to earn handsome during marriage season but this year failed to have sale since most of the marriages postponed due to epidemic outbreak this year.
