Chennai: The anti-Sterlite protests have reportedly led to the loss of Rs 100 crore every day ever since the shootout in Thoothukudi.
According to local traders, digital India and the GST execution has now backfired without internet. “The entire wholesale trade now depends upon on digital transactions through internet and the unprecedented violence has crippled the retail and the export business of pearl city,” said A.M. Vikrama Raja, president, Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangangalin Peramaippu (TNVSP).
The wholesale daily market of Thoothukudi alone accounts for Rs 100 crore, but the overall trade loss per day will be actually high. There are reports of shipping and export industry being affected due to the Sterlite protests. “The law and order problem coupled with Internet restrictions has choked even neighboring districts. Due to the violence, workers from other districts engaged in Thoothukudi trade have left the city and traders are unable to produce invoice and engage customers,” he noted.
The order by the state government banning internet for five days means straight away loss of Rs 10 crore for the telecom industry. There are more than 50 lakh mobile customers in these three districts (Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari), said a top source with a telecom major. “Airtel and Vodaofone has 30 lakh customers. BSNL, Gio and others contribute to another 20 lakh customers with high data consumption. A blanket ban will make us loose least '20 per day from a customer and this is a huge setback for the entire telecom sector,” the source said adding that there is a constant pressure from our customers ranging from banks, MNCs and hospitals seeking immediate restoration of internet services.
According to a top TN BSNL sources, the call centres are flooded with complaints from customers in Thoothukudi complaining about poor signal with no internet. “Our staffers are under pressure and we are not used to such a scenario. Further thousands of new customers who recently migrated from Aircel to BSNL have linked their mobile numbers for all banking and digital transactions and this is the reason that has affected them,” rued the BSNL insider. The sooner the state restores internet it is better for the public and the industry, the BSNL official said seeking anonymity.
