The ambitious Netha Bazaar spread over 1.32 acres of land in the heart of Karimnagar was built for marketing the products produced by weavers in the district. But it wears a deserted look now as there are only a few takers for their products owing to demonetisation and cash crunch.
The decision to construct Netha Bazaar was taken in 2002 after a spate of suicides by weavers in the district. The bazaar was constructed in 2006 with all the facilities, including an office room, a godown to store the products and a canteen. Since its inception, weavers and small entrepreneurs selling different fabrics and dress material have been making brisk business here.
However, this weekly bazaar is almost inactive now with weavers, who arrive here from far-flung places of the erstwhile Karimnagar district and other districts, hardly selling their produce since demonetisation.
These weavers neither have swiping machines to facilitate online transactions nor do the customers visiting their stalls have any idea about using debit or credit cards.
Vishwanatham, a weaver from Choppadandi, said there has been no business since the last one-and-a-half months following the demonetisation of high value currency notes by the Centre. “I am coming here every Saturday expecting good sales and returning disappointed with only a few of my products being sold as there are no visitors,” he complained.
Ravi, a small entrepreneur who sells ready-made fabric and weavers’ products at the bazaar, said his business has come down by more than 70 per cent following the demonetisation. “I am unable to clear the piled up stock as customers are hardly making any purchases owing to financial constraints,” he said and urged the government to provide them with swiping machines and also educate the customers on the use of debit, credit and Rupay cards for purchases at the Netha Bazaar.
The bazaar, which usually sees over 100 weavers coming to sell their products every Saturday, had only about 10 to 20 weavers last week. The weavers, on the other hand, expressed concern over their future following a steep decline in the sale of their produce and they don’t see the situation improving any time soon.
