Stalls will be provided at 'discounted rate' to artists at Delhi Haat, tourism dept campuses: Govt

New Delhi [India], September 10 : The Delhi government has decided to provide stalls at a 'discounted rate' to artists and artisans across all the campuses of the tourism department including Delhi Haat.
The decision was taken after Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia chaired a meeting with the Board of Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC) at the Delhi Secretariat on Wednesday.
According to an official release, the Delhi government has decided to give concessions to vendors who have food stalls inside Delhi Haat and other places and the rent for these vendors would be waived off for the entire duration of the lockdown.
"In many cases, it has also been decided to give considerable concession in the normal fare till October 31. At present, the economic situation is facing a huge challenge due to the pandemic all over the globe and the markets especially the tourism and hospitality industry are badly affected," the release said.
"The DTTDC is of the view that it is necessary to retain those vendors/operators who have been associated with DTTDC for a long time by giving relation to them. This will not only enable these operators to consolidate their business activity in the given time but also help DTTDC in getting regular revenue for a longer period," it said.
At Delhi Haat INA, 166 craft stalls were allotted to the artisans across the country.
"It has been decided to distribute the remaining stalls among the local craftsmen on a first-come, first-served basis. Food stall vendors of Delhi Haat INA have been given considerable relief in paying their rent. Concessions are also provided to the car parking vendor of Delhi Haat INA as the backside parking space is not currently being used. The lease of Nature Bazaar located at Andheria Mor was given to artisans for 15 years. It has been decided to waive off the fee from March 20 to July 3 due to the closure during the lockdown," it said.
Sisodia said that due to the Corona crisis and lockdown, artists and artisans who cannot buy expensive stalls at Delhi Haat and other places will be provided stalls at a very economical rate.
"A person had to spend thousands or sometimes lakhs for a stall but now these will be available for only Rs 500-600," said Sisodia.
Due to the lockdown caused by the COVID-19, all the properties leased by the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation had to be closed from March 20. Later, each institution was allowed to reopen at different stages of unlocking. These include all Delhi Haats (INA, Pitampura, and Janakpuri), Garden of Five Senses, Nature Bazaar, etc. Among them, many entrepreneurs requested a concession under Force Major in the light of the epidemic and today the committee has given its nod to provide those concessions.
Sisodia expressed his hope that these concessions will provide the much-needed relief to the people associated with the tourism development of Delhi and with their help, the tourism activities in Delhi will soon be back on track.