Gani Market, the venue of weekly shandy, wore a deserted look on Tuesday in the absence of buyers, due to low circulation of currency following demonetisation of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000.
Inclusive of the daily market outlets, there were as many as 1,200 shops, but buyers were hard to come by, Noor Seth, a functionary of Gani Market Dinasari Sangam said. The situation was so bad that sellers who came from far-off places struggled to mobilise money for their return journey, he pointed out.
At no time in the past had the sellers faced such a predicament. “We had faced losses due to holiday announcements, but it is for the first time the sellers are struggling due to paucity of buyers,” Mr. Noor Seth said.
Demonetisation has, in fact, precipitated a crisis the sellers had already been facing since the weeks preceding Deepavali. There was less than expected sale this time due to the announcement about local body elections.
There was simply not enough money in the possession of the sellers and buyers as well to tender change.
In all likelihood, sellers from other parts of Tamil Nadu will not turn up next week for the weekly shandy if the present situation continues, Mr. Noor Seth said.