NO-SHOW AT DU RENDERS STANDALONE STREET FOOD VENDORS JOBLESS
Admission season in Delhi University means brisk business for the vendors at North Campus. These hole-inthe-wall outlets serve snacks and beverages at pocket friendly rates, making them a hit among students. But a no-go for colleges as well as lockdown extensions have resulted in a dip in business.
Sudama Prasad of Sudama Tea Stall near Ramjas College has been around for 28 years now, but never has he seen a situation quite like this. “Daily ₹1,500 kamaa lete the. Koi madad nahi mili hai kisi se. Dukaan khol bhi le toh koi bachcha complaint kar sakta hai, isliye abhi toh soch bhi nahi raha hoon,” he says.
Sarfuddin, who managed Saroj Juice Hut near Arts Faculty, has gone to his village in Kaiserganj, Uttar Pradesh, Though he got a call from the shop owner to return to Delhi, he feels it’s a long way before business picks up pace.
Some stall owners have found ways to continue business, albeit not without losses. “We are taking orders at home, and delivering them. Earlier, we would sell 100-150 plates of noodles, making up to ₹10,000 per day, but now it’s only a handful of orders. We will, hopefully, get some clarity after June 1,” says Sandeep Kataria of Tom Uncle Maggi Point near Ramjas College.
Amid tough times, vendors are turning to the government for help. “I would make ₹15,00020,000 a month, but it’s all gone now. Ek yahi kaam kiya hai poori zindagi aur yahi kaam aata hai. I would request the government to let us reopen our stalls with a time limit,” says Sunil Kashyap, who used to sell bread pakoras and aloo tikkis in Kamla Nagar market.