Ghaziabad: Lockdown-hit daily wage workers turn vegetable vendors

Twenty-four-year-old Rajendra Kumar has found a new job during the lockdown. Like many other daily wagers in the unorganised sector, Kumar earlier took up daily

Twenty-four-year-old Rajendra Kumar has found a new job during the lockdown. Like many other daily wagers in the unorganised sector, Kumar earlier took up daily welding jobs with small firms in Loha Mandi area of Ghaziabad. However, with the lockdown putting paid to that vocation, he and many others like him have now turned into vegetable and fruit vendors.

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The state government has stressed on doorstep delivery of essential items during lockdown and vegetable vendors are playing a vital role in this delivery system. Kumar said he has taken a cart and weighing machine on a daily rent of ₹100 and have been selling fruits and vegetables for the past one week.

“This is a most beneficial job and several of my friends are also doing this. People need daily supplies and our movement is also not restricted by the police. I now have a means to feed my family. I go late night to the market in Dadri to purchase vegetables and sell these in residential areas of Ghaziabad,” he said.

“However, the work fetches me less than my work as a welder -- I earn about ₹200 a day. I used to earn about ₹15,000 a month (about ₹500 a day) doing contractual welding job. Once the lockdown is lifted, I will return to my welding job,” Kumar said.

Ashok Kumar, who hails from Gorakhpur and lives in Panchvati Colony, used to work as a tent and venue decorator before the lockdown. He, too, has now taken a cart on rent to sell vegetables.

Sixty-two-year-old Saleem Ahmad from Usman Colony in Dasna sold biryani near Dasna jail and earned about ₹300-500 a day. Ahmad is also selling vegetables after fetching them from the Hapur market.

“Initially, I waited for about 10 days in the hopes that the lockdown will be lifted and I can resume my work. Since the lockdown was extended till May 3, I decided to sell vegetables. Although I earn daily, it is not a profitable proposition. Sometimes, the vegetables remain unsold and have to be thrown away,” he said.

“In some areas, people have barricaded the lanes and don’t allow vendors inside. They get suspicious of new vendors and ask for names and even Aadhaar cards, etc. If they are reassured, they purchase from us,” he said.

Vishvendra Kumar, secretary of Mandi Samiti, said the number of new retailers/vendors has increased at the Sahibabad vegetable market by about 25%-30% since the lockdown.

“We have issued 3,680 passes to vendors for purchase of stocks from Sahibabad vegetable market. This includes about 2,000 vendors who earlier used to sell vegetables inside the market. The remaining are new vendors/retailers. They arrive at specific timings and collect their stock,” he said.

According to the industries department officials, Ghaziabad has about 32,000 different category of industrial units.

“About 600 units are presently operational and these are the ones engaged in providing essential items. From April 20, we expect another 1,500 units to open. This will help contractual workers to get back their jobs,” Virendra Kumar, deputy commissioner (industries), said.