This story is from April 18, 2019

Business down 50% in drought-hit Marathwada village market

Business down 50% in drought-hit Marathwada village market
Vendor Razzak Shaikh sits in the deserted market at Walvad village
OSMANABAD: Rows of mangalsutras, anklets and earrings hang forlornly in Razzak Shaikh’s make-shift stall in Walvad village market in Osmanabad district’s arid Bhoom taluka. A few villagers linger to fleetingly touch the costume jewellery but then move on.
The searing drought in Marathwada region has resulted in villagers postponing marriages, directly impacting Razzaq’s trade. “I used to do business worth Rs 2,000 per market day.
Now, I make barely Rs 500 as there are hardly any marriages,” says Shaikh. Most stall-owners at the market agree that trade is down by at least 50%-60%.
The reason is not just the drought. Business at this rural market never fully recovered after demonetisation two-and-a-half years ago, says Shaikh. “After note-bandi, the mazdoors (labourers) who came to the market had no money. I barely sold anything for nearly nine months. Last year, I took a loan of Rs 1 lakh for the first time since I started this trade a decade ago,” he adds.
Mallikarjun Bhobe, who sells saris and shirt material, faces the same crisis. He used to make at least Rs 5,000 on each market day. Now, it’s down to Rs 1,000-Rs 1,500. “After note-bandi, all of us started making losses. But there are no other jobs for us here so I have no choice but to continue this trade,” says Bhobe.
The market is located in Osmanabad district which goes to the polls on Thursday. In this constituency, NCP’s Ranajagjitsinh Patil and Shiv Sena’s Omraje Nimbalkar are facing each other in what is being viewed as a tough battle. The sitting MP is Shiv Sena’s Ravindra Gaikwad, but this is one constituency in the region which faces a strong opponent and a possible change of guard. Despite the extreme rural distress in the region, strong caste polarisation has been the dominant factor in Marathwada’s contests.
Even bigger traders at the market, like Naseem Baig who sells masalas, have taken a hit. Baig estimates that he made a loss of Rs 1 lakh after demonetisation. GST has also played a role, he adds. “I even tried to get my daughter-in-law, a BEd degree-holder, a job to improve family income, but in vain,” says Baig.
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