Sales dip by 60%, no fancy buying, bakers keep limited menu
Eid break begins with low-key shopping
ATMs churn out 31 Cr; JKB branches will be open today
Sajad Kralyari
Srinagar, Sept 09: The three-day break in the Hurriyat (G) protest calendar began Thursday with brisk shopping in the major markets of the valley even as the traders complained of it being a dampened affair as compared to the usual Eid rush.
Meanwhile, more than Rs 31 crores were withdrawn through around 80000 transactions from ATMs of J&K Bank across the valley.
According to the bank statement, “Rs 39.20 crores were disbursed in three days (Rs 19.60 crores on September 6; Rs 5.60 crores on September 7 and Rs 14 crores on September 8) through JKB ATMs. Over one and a half lakh transactions were conducted on these days.”
For the convenience of people, JK Bank branches will remain open on Friday, a senior official said.
Hurriyat (G) had asked people to resume normal life for three days beginning Thursday in view of Eid-ul-Fitr. The authorities also lifted curfew-like restrictions paving way for hassle-free Eid shopping even as long and frequent traffic jams impeded vehicular movement in market places.
While bakery and meat shops witnessed heavy rush, footwear and garment stores were also busy attending to the customers. However, the traders were not enthused by the sales saying that it was much less than the normal customer rush on Eid eve.
“Spending among people has weakened. On this Eid, the traders did not even witness 20 per cent of business. Economical weakness has come to people. Now people want to celebrate the Eid with simplicity which has affected sales,” said President of Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir, Shakeel Qalandar.
The shopkeepers selling fancy items also witnessed minimal business.
“People have no interest to decorate their homes on this Eid. We have not seen many customers coming to our shops. The cancellation of marriage invitations has also affected our business,” said owner of Butt Co dealing in fancy items and electrical goods.
Low business was also registered by the outlets selling goods like refrigerators, TV sets and washing machines.
The mutton dealers also chose to get lesser supplies of sheep following the austerity call of separatist leadership.
According to mutton dealers, around 6000 quintals of meat have reached Kashmir valley out of which 1200 quintals were lifted by people on Thursday alone.
“This is only 60 per cent of the sales we usually witness on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr as people want to celebrate the festival with austerity. We did not order much supplies of mutton,” said President All Kashmir Wholesale Mutton Dealers Union, Manzoor Ahmad Kanoon.
The austerity call has also been taken up by the bakery shop owners curtailing the quantity of many items even as they termed Thursday’s customer rush as normal.
“We did a good business today. However, we had not prepared many verities of bread and confectionary for this Eid. Last year, we booked orders for around 200 people but this Eid we did not accept any orders,” said a worker at a Lal Chowk bakery shop.
This Eid has also witnessed slump in the sales of Eid greeting cards even after the ban on the SMS service was expected to revive the card culture.
“Normally we sell around 6000 greeting cards ahead of Eid. Schools and college going students would frequent our shop week ahead of the festival. But educational institutions are closed so we did not do much business,” said Abid Samad at Geeco Stationers.
Besides Srinagar city Eid rush was also witnessed in South Kashmir where people came out for shopping in main town Islamabad, Lal Chowk, KP Road, Kulgam, Pulwama Shopian since early morning. People flocked bakery and mutton shops and long queues were found at ATMs. In north Kashmir, main markets in Sopore, Baramulla, Kupwara Hundwara and Pattan also witnessed a good customer rush.
People throng ATMs
J&K Bank claimed record breaking cash withdrawal from the bank ATMs on Thursday across the valley.
According to a bank statement, Rs 39.20 crores were disbursed in last three through its ATMs in over one and a half lakh transactions.
Last year, Rs 46 crores were disbursed through these machines in four days prior to Eid-ul-Fitr.
J&K Bank is currently having a network of 155 ATMs in the valley.
In central Kashmir which includes Srinagar, Ganderbal and Budgam districts, more than 18 crores were withdrawn through these machines. Similarly in south Kashmir, an amount of Rs. 7.5 crores were disbursed. While as over Rs.5.50 crores were withdrawn in north Kashmir.
“In Beerwah, Rs 40 lacs were withdrawn while as in border district of Kupwara, around Rs 70 lacs were withdrawn during the day from 3 machines installed in the district. In Pulwama, Rs 80 lacs were withdrawn from two ATMs and in Islamabad more than Rs 72 lacs were disbursed through these machines at T P Islamabad,” the bank statement reads.
Anticipating huge rush of people, the bank had loaded all its ATMs in the Kashmir valley by 10 pm last night. The authorities of the bank had pressed more manpower into the service and ensured the machines don’t remain dry. The ATMs of the bank located at places that usually experience better footfall of the bank customers were filled three to four times during the day. Notably, the machines accommodate Rs 17 lacs at a time.
