Madhya Pradesh: Restrictions on Holi celebrations may cause about Rs 5000 cr

Bhopal: State government has recently issued directions to all districts to celebrate holi at home and avoid going out in view of sudden spike in corona positive cases. This has led to negative sentiments in the business class. Restrictions put on Holi celebrations due to spike in corona positive cases has sent the business community into depression.

Business experts say that the bazaar was ready for holi business but the restrictions laid will cause a loss of around Rs 5000 crores. ‘The overall holi business in state stands at around Rs 5000 crore. This includes the programmes that are organized before and after holi,’ said Bhupendra Jain, state president of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT). Besides colour, water cannons, gulal etc lot of business and employment is generated because of thousands of small and big functions and get-together that are organized before and after holi. Caterers and food industry will be the biggest sufferers after the restrictions are placed on holi celebrations, said Deepak Agarwal, who is in food business.

Bhopal district alone is expected to face an estimated loss of about Rs 7-800 crores as there will be no public celebrations, said CAIT president of Bhopal district.

‘Traders had given bulk orders of items related to holi. Now most of it is dumped in the godowns. We have invested a lot in it expecting a good return in holi,’ said a trader wishing not to be named. The business was already in shambles. We were all struggling to come back on track and up to some extent things had started turning in our favour. But the recent orders related to restrictions have pushed us back from where we started, he added.