For the first time in 72 years, Hyderabad has ushered in a New Year but without its annual tryst with Numaish.
In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 81st All India Industrial Exhibition has been deferred till January 31. The annual carnival usually commences on January 1, but the launch has been delayed this time considering the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines which are in force till January 31.
“We have not cancelled the Numaish but only deferred. The situation will be assessed after January 31, and a decision will be taken as to when and how to commence the exhibition,” said Exhibition Society president and Health Minister E Rajender at a press conference here on Thursday.
Though marriages and functions were being permitted with a limited number of people, the attendance at the Numaish would be much higher. On an average, 45,000 visit the exhibition every day. With such large crowds, there was a need to follow the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines, Rajender said. There was a possibility to commence the iconic event in March.
Every year, the Numaish, which goes on till February 15, apart from being a source of support to 20 educational and charitable institutions, offers livelihood for small businesspersons and women entrepreneurs. The event also generates revenue for government through GST, which is collected on nearly 20 lakh tickets, rentals of the 1500 stalls and sales turnover of small businesses and entrepreneurs. This amounts to the tune of Rs 10 crore to Rs 15 crore.
It is also a venue for recreation and relaxation for many, including those from other States. Over 20 lakh visitors visited the exhibition last year, which was conducted for 46 days.
“Considering the present circumstances, we would look for an appropriate time window to conduct the Numaish 2021 at a later date. Already, there has been a good response from vendors as nearly 1,200 applications for stalls have been filed,” Exhibition Society secretary B Prabha Shankar said.
The Numaish, which began in 1938, was not held in 1948 and 1949 in the wake of partition of the country, he said.