PANJIM: The State’s capital city of Panjim, which usually bustles with the people and traffic movement, on Thursday wore a deserted look, as most residents have left for their native places to celebrate Ganeshotsav, one Goa’s biggest festivals.
Like people in other parts of the State, Ponjekars too celebrate Ganeshotsav, but prefer to visit their native places.
Having settled in the city for ages, Ponjekars still follow the age-old tradition of visiting their native places annually during Chaturthi.
With Ponjekars proceeding to their native places, the city roads, bylanes and tourist hotspots wore a deserted look as most establishments remained closed.
Businesses ranging from hotels to yellow and black motorcycle pilots bore the brunt as they complained that their income dipped to a large extent.
Vinod Kumar of Kamat Hotel in the city opined that there were at least 50 per cent less customers during the week-long festival.
“People visit their native places to celebrate the festival along with their families. This results in a smaller number of customers. The reduction is almost 50 per cent,” he said.
Nagraj Kamat, manager of Sanyog Restaurant, too agreed that the customers’ footfall during the seven days will be reduced by almost 50 per cent.
Ismail, an autorickshaw driver at the city bus stand, said, “On normal days we earn around Rs 700 to Rs 800 daily but during these days the business is almost nil. We struggle to find a single customer a day during festival days.”
Echoing similar sentiment, Mehboob, a yellow and black motorcycle pilot said on a normal day he earns between Rs 700 and Rs 800 but during Chaturthi, he struggles to earn even Rs 100 per day which indicates the less presence of people and tourists in the city.
“Normally I get multiple rides which translate into Rs 700 or Rs 800 but during these days I find it difficult to get even a single passenger. The business has almost come to a standstill,” he said.
A Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) pay-parking warden, said, “On any normal day the collection is over Rs 1,000 but during Chaturthi it is even difficult to collect Rs 200. The business is almost zero. Very few owners approach us to park their vehicles.”
The same sentiment was shared by other wardens mostly from Odisha, deployed to collect parking fees at EDC Patto-Panjim, which has many government and private offices, including banks.
“On normal days collections are around Rs 2,000 per day but during these days it is very difficult to collect even Rs 300. You can see there are no vehicles parked at all,” one of the pay-parking wardens said, referring to prolonged closure of government and private offices.
A food-chain delivery boy admitted that there were less orders in the last two days.
“Yes there is a reduction in orders. That is why you found me here. Otherwise I would have been on the run. There are orders but mostly for non-veg items,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Goa Police have issued advisories to city residents to inform the nearest police station when leaving for their native places.
