Online DU admission process affecting vendors’ income

The online registrations for undergraduate courses in Delhi University has made life easy for students and parents but it is affecting the earnings of vendors and rickshaw pullers as the number of students and parents visiting the campus has become almost negligible.

The online registrations for undergraduate courses in Delhi University has made life easy for students and parents but it is affecting the earnings of vendors and rickshaw pullers as the number of students and parents visiting the campus has become almost negligible.

Vendors and rickshaw drivers said they used to earn most during the months of June and July. (Arun Sharma/HT Photo)

“Till last year, I was earning some Rs. 400-500 per day in June. This time I didn’t even go to my home town (in Bihar) hoping to earn some money but the business has been very slow. I am just making Rs. 250 after standing in the heat all day long,”said Lalchand, who sells ‘banta’ at Arts Faculty.

Rickshaw drivers said they used to earn most during the months of June and July. “This time business has been greatly affected as we see very few people coming to the university. I don’t know what the reasons are but every year, this time, I used to do several trips to arts faculty and different DU colleges,” said Sultan who rides a ply rickshaw near Vishwavidyalaya metro station.

Ram Manohar, who sells chole-kulche near Daulat Ram College, said he is desperately waiting for the colleges to reopen. “I am making around Rs. 400 these days, which is very less compared to last year’s earnings. I used to earn Rs. 1,500. I just hope the college opens soon,” he said.

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The situation is the same at south campus. “Everything is online now. It is so hot nobody comes to colleges during this time. It was better to have gone home and taken a break,” said Kalicharan, a hawker in Satya Niketan Market.

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Auto drivers have the same story to share. They say their earning has reduced considerably from Rs. 600 a day last year to hardly Rs. 200 a day.

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