Brijesh Goyal, president of the Chamber of Trade and Industry, the apex body of traders and entrepreneurs of Delhi and the country, today said that due to the continuous protests in Delhi in the month of October, the business of Delhi has suffered a loss of around Rs 3000 crore so far. In the first protest on October 10, Rs. 2000 crore was lost and due to blockade, metro closure and closure of Central Park in central Delhi between October 13 and 16, an additional Rs. 1000 crores was lost.

Full details of sector wise losses

Retail trade – Rs. 1800 crores (60%)

Retail has been hit the hardest. More than 700 markets in Delhi were affected, including Sadar Bazaar, Chandni Chowk, Kashmiri Gate, Chawari Bazaar, Bhagirath Place, Gandhi Nagar, Naya Bazaar, Khari Baoli, Karawal Nagar, Karol Bagh, Lajpat Rai Market, Connaught Place. Peak shopping of Navratri and Diwali had stopped.

Wholesale trade and outside buyers – Rs. 600 crores (20%)

3-4 lakh wholesale buyers from Sonipat, Panipat, Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida, Ghaziabad and Rajasthan have not come to Delhi. The movement of trucks stopped, the supply chain was broken. Festival goods were lying in warehouses.

Hospitality and Service Sector – Rs. 300 crores (10%)

80% bookings were canceled in hotels, restaurants, cinema halls, beauty parlours, salons, gyms, clubs. Restaurants in Connaught Place, Khan Market had zero evening bookings. Tourists, especially foreign tourists, hesitate to come to central Delhi.

Transport, Auto-Taxi and Tourism – Rs. 180 crores (6%)

Over 20 metro stations closed, 10-12 km long jam, livelihood of auto, taxi, e-rickshaw drivers came to a standstill due to bus route diversion. More than 5000 truck-tempos of transporters were stuck in the jam.

Informal Sector – Daily Wage Labourers, Artisans, Loading – Rs 120 crore (4%)

The poor were hit the hardest. Daily wages of loading-unloading labourers, artisans, salesmen, hawkers and ready carriers were completely lost. More than 50,000 daily wage laborers have been unemployed in Gandhi Nagar and Sadar Bazar.

CTI alert

CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal said that there was a lockdown-like situation on October 10, Central Park closed on October 16, 10,000 policemen deployed, more than 150 people in custody – this has spread panic across Delhi. Navratri, Ramlila and Diwali are the only earning months of the whole year for us. If protests continue every week, by Diwali the loss will be Rs. 10,000 crore will be crossed.

CTI demand from Govt

There should be a complete ban on any protest in Central Delhi, New Delhi and Lutyens Zone till Diwali.
For future, a permanent protest zone should be created in Outer Delhi – Burari, Rohini, Dwarka.
3000 crore losses incurred in October, relief package to traders, electricity-water bills and exemption from GST.
The police administration should not force the shopkeepers to close their shops, but should provide security to keep the markets open.