Sweets industry may suffer Rs 5,000cr loss this Raksha Bandhan, says association

country's sweets industry would suffer an estimated financial loss of Rs 5,000 crore during this Raksha Bandhan festival due to coronavirus pandemic, an industry association claimed.

A national federation of sweet makers says that sales of sweets on this Raksha Bandhan are expected to be halved due to alleged mismanment of administration in different states in addition to epidemic hitting customers. This may cost sweets industry about Rs 5,000 crore.

director of Federation of Sweets and Namkeen Manufacturers, Feroz H. Naqvi, on Sunday told PTI, "Sweets worth around Rs 10,000 crore were sold across country on Raksha Bandhan last year. This figure expected to come down to around Rs 5,000 crore this time." " purchasing power of customers is already affected due to ecomic crisis arising out of Covid-19. re has been a lot of confusion in many districts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and some or states about opening of sweet shops on Saturday and Sunday falling just before Raksha Bandhan (Monday). As a result, sweets could t be manufactured and stocked adequately to meet festive demand." He said that government's mismanment on Raksha Bandhan has increased problems for sweets industry.

se problems could have been mitigated by a timely decision by administration about opening of shops, he said.

Naqvi said according to a rough estimate, sweet business from Raksha Bandhan to Janmashtami accounts for about 25 per cent of annual festival sales.

He demanded that administration across country should rectify its mistake and anunce plan about opening of sweets shops in advance during upcoming festivals so that ir sweet makers can prepare accordingly.

Meanwhile, Indore's district administration in an order issued late on Saturday, citing instructions received from state government regarding festival of Raksha Bandhan, said that sweets-namkeen shops besides those selling puja items can be opened on Sunday.

However, in an order earlier on Wednesday, administration had clarified that according to instructions of state government, Sunday curfew will remain enforced in district on August 2 and rmal business activities will t be allowed.

re is a lockdown across state on Sundays to prevent spread of COVID-19.

But local politicians were constantly demanding that shops should be allowed to open in Indore on this Sunday due to festival-related needs. 

Im Credits: PTI