In a clear indication of the Cauvery dispute casting its shadow on the Dasara festivities, the number of exhibitors from Tamil Nadu participating in the annual exhibition has more than halved this year.
Earlier, traders from Tamil Nadu used to book anywhere between 70 and 80 stalls out of the 136 business stalls in the A Block that features a variety of items ranging from textiles, toys, kitchenware, to cosmetics. This time, however, the response from traders has been relatively poor.
“The number of exhibitors from Tamil Nadu has come down to 35 so far,” said Mallik, manager of Fun World and Resorts, which has bagged the contract for the Dasara exhibition this year.
Mr. Mallik is hopeful of attracting another 10 to 15 exhibitors in the coming days. The annual exhibition is scheduled to begin on October 1 and conclude on December 25.
Most of the exhibitors in the A Block come from different parts of the country, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh.
The response for the exhibition has not been encouraging from other States either. Even though the exhibition is scheduled to be inaugurated in two days, more than 55 stalls out of the 136 are yet to be booked.
“Eighty stalls have been booked this year,” Mr. Mallik said.
