HYDERABAD: Traders from across the country, who have set up their stalls at Nampally Exhibition Grounds, are in doldrums with the sudden announcement by authorities to temporarily suspend the All India Industrial Exhibition, popularly as Numaish, upto January 10 due to rise in number of Covid-19 cases in the city.
Scores of traders who brought goods from their respective states to sell at the 45-day trade fair are in a piquant situation as they have to sit idle up to January 10 without any business. Traders are doubtful whether the exhibition will be opened after January 10.
Some of the traders hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra and Gujarat, spoke to Express about the sudden announcement. Khaiser, along with five members from Kashmir, has set up stalls with shawls worth Rs 10 lakh. They took the stall on rent by paying Rs 1 lakh to the society for 45 days. “We will have to spend Rs 5 lakh towards expenditure including food, shelter and salaries to staff. We don’t know what is in store after January 10, what if the government imposes restriction even after January 10,” he said. As the exhibition is closed up to January 10, the society has to compensate the loss by returning the 10 days rent, he added.
Another vendor from Sholapur, Dharmendra, who has set up a chappal stall with three workers to assist him for selling Rs 5 lakh worth material, rued the closure.
Ahmed from Kashmir, who has set up three dry fruit stalls with goods worth Rs 10 lakh, has paid Rs 2 lakh each for the three stalls and hired a dozen workers hoping to make Rs 3 lakh profit during the 45 days trade fair, but things looks bleak for him. He said traders had arrived to showcase their products, and now, Covid has ruined things, he added.
All India Industrial Exhibition office-bearers told Express that the exhibition was suspended as per the Covid guidelines issued by the State government. “As Omicron is spreading fast, government has announced precautionary measures to control its spread. The orders will remain in force till January 10. We are just following the protocols issued by the State government,” they added.