CONRAD DIAS
Ranchi, March 4: As covid has caused havoc all around the globe in the last two years many people have lost their jobs or shut their businesses due to unavoidable circumstances. In Ranchi, Many businesses were shut down due to the long lockdowns. Some were able to manage their business online whereas some had to shut it. However, there were many who changed their professions during the pandemic.
Lagatar24.com spoke to Alok Khalkho, one of the many business owners in Ranchi who changed their profession during the lockdown.
“I used to own a fast food restaurant in Ranchi since 2016. The business was going on quite well till lockdown happened. During lockdown we even tried to sell food online but it wasn’t helping us as people were scared to buy outside food. Then I decided to use my Vehicle for transport and I used to take people from Ranchi to other cities. I also used to drive others’ cars,” he said.
Another such incident is from Old Lowadih where a high school teacher Anil Pritam, had to open a restaurant named ‘Naughty Noodles’ because of Lockdown. As per him, the school was not paying him salary on time and it was becoming tough for him to support his family. He took some loan from his friends and started the restaurant last year.
“I was a teacher at St. Xavier’s School, Ranchi but due to some circumstances caused by lockdown, I had to leave the job. The business has never been my forte but I had no other option,” said Anil.
Many Ola and Rapido drivers who have joined the companies in 2020 or 2021 have lost their previous jobs due to lockdown. Samar Pratap Singh, a resident from Ormanjhi used to work in the Registry office since 2016 but had to change his profession due to lockdown.
“I graduated in 2011 and have been working in the Registry office since 2016. In 2020, during the first lockdown we were working from home at a very low salary and even when we joined the office offline, they didn’t increase our salary. I quit my job after that and since last year I have been working in Rapido as a pilot (rider). I used to get Rs. 16,000 as salary in the Registry office whereas now I earn around 18-20K per month,” Singh explained.
Apart from Samar, Amit Mishra and Dhananjay Pandey are also Rapido riders who switched to Rapido after lockdown. As the government has lifted the lockdown completely, all small businesses are again starting to catch up with the market that was all gloomy for the last two years.
