Business down; Siliguri traders await normality

SNS, SILIGURI, 26 0CTOBER 2017: A section of businessmen in the Siliguri sub-division have said business is down despite that fact that the 104-day-long shutdown in the Hills has ended almost a month ago.

The traders have also claimed that normality may not have fully returned in areas that are still under the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha's Bimal Gurung camp. The business turn over, which is basically dependent on the Hills and Sikkim and partly Dooars, dropped to 25-30 per cent as the indefinite shut down began in Mid- June. Traders in almost all sectors incurred huge losses as their turnover dropped by almost 70-75 percent.

"The turnover has in creased from 25 percent to 60 percent after the indefinite strike was called off on 27 September. However, the turnover is still 40 percent short than other normal business days before June this year," a senior trade in Siliguri said "Trader's in Siliguri and even daily wage earners suffered huge financial losses ahead of the Durga Puja due to the shut¬down in the Hills," he added.

Another trader said on condition of anonymity that a section of the people is still hesitating to come to Siliguri markets from the Hills. "The people's flow is less as compared to the same time the previous years. It may be that people do not feel free and secure, and normality may not have been restored in some parts of the Hills and adjoining areas where the GJMM  still dominates," he added.

The secretary of the Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry for north Bengal (FOCIN), Biswajit Das, said the losses trade's suffered during the Hill shutdown were unrecoverable.

"Though the business turnover is increasing, it is not satisfactory. We have not yet informed the state government about the present situation because the government is still trying hard to bring normality in the Hills." he said.