Sunday, 11 October 2009

Rayalaseema trad hub worst hit, Poolabazar is a history

U Sudhakar Reddy/Kurnool
The trade hub of Rayalaseema, Kurnool One town, is worst hit due to the floods of Tungabadhra and Handri as crores of worth of stocks of food grains, clothes are damaged.
The famous Poolabazar once known for selling flowers is stinking today as the wholesale and retail shops with hundreds of tonnes of stocks of rice, fancy, eatables cereals, sugar soaked in water and thrown out on the streets. Godowns situated on the river bed are submerged still on Monday.Many of the traders didn’t insure their stocks and the entire trading community in Kurnool has suffered a big set back financially.The Kurnool district chamber of commerce building itself was affected due to the floo and all records are spoiled.Chamber of Commerce president Mr I Vijay Kumar Reddy says that the loss would run into hundreds of crores for the 1000 shops in the trade hub of Poolabazar, Mandibazar and other areas.
Even small scale industries are affected.For instance Dinesh traders godowns all sunk in water making them to loose Rs 3.5 crore.“It is from Kurnool one town wholesale products are sent across the region to the retailers. It will take another three months for this hub to become operational. Several of them didn’t have insurance. I was told that banks which gave loans are telling that they didn’t insure the stocks,” said Mr Reddy.Mandi Bazar Kirana Merchants Association president Mr G Lakhsminarayana says ,”there are around 75shops in this bazaar and each one of have lost stocks worth Rs 3 to Rs 4 lakh. Te loss would be estimated in these bazaars would be around Rs 30 to Rs 40 crore. For the retailers there is no insurance,”The traders are after lensemen to have a record of the damage as they can show it as proof if government announces some help.An APCO run shop in Poolabazar has lost Rs 6 lakh worth of sarees says it’s manager S Nageswara Rao.

Kurnool town Dalmillers and Fried Gram sellers Association president Mr T Rangaswamy who himself is a victim says ,”there are 13 such shops here. We all have lost around Rs one crore,”The Boorgulu batti(rice based )’s famous in Kurnool also submerged in water.D Nagoji Rao of Bandimetta says ,”around 150 bags of senagalu and Rs 2 lakh batani are damaged. There are ten such battis that make rice and cereal based products. I invested in this by taking debts. There is no way for me and future appears bleak,”Chamber of Commerce of Kurnool now wants the government to waive the bank loans.“they should also pay compensation based on the Income Tax Assessment of previous years. Kurnool Municipal Corporation should not implement the proposed hike in rents of the shops in municipal buildings,” said Mr I Vijay Kumar Reddy.Onions are sold at Rs 15 per kg as against Rs 10 and even the tomatoes rates went up to 40 though Kurnool area is the place where they are grown vastly

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