Poll season keeps screen printers busy

Syed Mujeeb, a screen printer is all smiles these days. Thanks to the election related orders at his workplace, the 23 year-old-man hopes to earn handsome earnings during the season.

With politicians setting aside a hefty budget for publicity material such as T-shirts, caps and other screen printers have their hands full in the south of the city.

“We work during the night also to ensure completion of the orders so that we can earn around Rs. 15,000 as against the regular salary of Rs. 8,500 a month,” says Mujeeb, who is assisted by three other colleagues.

The orders for paper products such as posters, leaflets and banners have seen a plunge due to restrictions.

Instead there is an increase in T- shirts and the likes. “The work which we get during the two months election period is equivalent to two years of routine work,” says Salim, who works at a printing shop.

“Compared to printers in other areas we charge less and also offer good work,” claims Syed Sadeq Mahmood, a screen printing workshop owner from Malakpet. The conduct of municipal elections and the general elections consecutively have brought in big orders. To cope with it many printers have hired additional workers, they say.