"Business of all essential commodities has jumped. But the sales of mobile recharge card tops all and stands at around Rs 60,000 a day," said Basu Dev Dawadi, a member of Consumers Cooperative Society that runs fair price shops.[break]
The cooperatives have deployed four staff to speed up and support the sales. The staff mostly seemed busy supplying recharge cards.
"It is natural that the participants in the Maoist´s plenum and media persons covering the event are making extensive calls every day. We rush to a recharge card depot - the main supplier - every day as we run out of the cards pretty soon," Dawadi told Republica.
According to an estimate, there are more than 6,000 individuals participating or covering the plenum. "Each and every one of them holds at least one mobile set. Hence, the unprecedented jump in the sales should not come as a surprise," added Dawadi.
Of the total, Nepal Telecom´s recharge card makes up for 90 percent of the sales while Ncell´s accounts for the rest. Likewise, among different value, the demand for cards worth Rs 100 is the highest.
"Most of the buyers ask for recharge cards worth Rs 50 and Rs 100. Some are buying cards with recharge value of Rs 500 as well," Dawadi elaborated.
Given the existing sales trend, the cooperative anticipates the sales figure to reach as high as Rs 600,000 by the end of the plenum.
Salespersons at the cooperative´s outlet said that the sales of other commodities have shot up as well. Of the consumable items, mainly the business of processed wheat flour, eggs, bottled water, onions, orange and banana have registered a sharp jump.
The outlet has already supplied as much as Rs 30,000 worth of processed wheat flour, Rs 10,000 worth of mineral water, Rs 6,000 worth of onions, Rs 5,000 worth of oranges and 16,000 worth of eggs to the hotels and temporary restaurants opened in the village.
The buyers prefer buying at the cooperative outlets as they supply the goods at relatively cheaper rates than other shops.
"Thanks to the plenum - our daily transactions have increased to as much as Rs 200,000," smiled Dawadi.
The outlets were set up just for the of plenum. Otherwise, the cooperative is based in Khaireni of Gorkha. "We opened up the outlet after the Maoist requested us," said Dawadi.
The Maoists, anticipating the rise in demand, had requested the cooperative to set up temporary fair price shops in the village. "Our presence was sought basically to check price hikes and warrantee supply," said Dawadi.
Related story
NTC reports loss of recharge cards worth Rs 1 million
