Port Blair, Dec 10: Street vendors were the worst hit, by the surge of covid-19 pandemic, which bought their life to a halt, leaving them with no alternative to earn a living for their family. Subhash Haldar, is a road side vegetable vendor, at Haddo, who supports a family of 4 members including his wife, a nephew and a son who is studying in the mainland.
He recalls his pathetic days, when all his stocks of onions and potatoes become stale and perished during the lockdown. His grief-stricken wife says that they had struggled hard to get one proper meal a day after suffering this loss. Sleeping empty stomach, every alternate day, had become a bane for the family which had hardly any savings.
Subhash, recalls that states that when the market reopened, he did not have the money to purchase vegetables to restart his business. It is then, that he came to hear about the PMSVANidhi micro credit facility from his fellow vegetable vendors. He readily approached the PBMC facilitation centre, where he was assisted for applying for the loan. On receipt of the loan, he not only purchased vegetables for his business, but also got ration for his family & returned money borrowed from relatives during the lockdown for survival.
He is thankful to the Administration, for the much needed financial assistance, he is now slowly rebuilding his business, and hopeful for future.
