Keonjhar: When the lockdown was enforced nationwide, mattress maker Md Khan who resides in this district had thought doomsday had arrived. There were no customers and sales had stopped. But then the lockdown has turned out to be a blessing for him.
Since the outbreak of coronavirus, a large number of people have returned to their villages in this district and town from other states and abroad. They have been put in quarantine to prevent the spread of COVID-19. And this is where luck has smiled on Khan. He has been asked to make mattresses by the district administration for those that have been kept in isolation. The number of cotton mattresses he has been asked to make are far more than he ever sold in a month.
However, Khan is not the only one to have benefitted from the lockdown. There are number of other mattress makers from Jharkhand who have settled in this town. They have also received similar orders. In this way, they are also being able to earn to run their families.
Khan informed that he has received an order to supply 500 cotton mattresses. “I have employed seven others to finish the order in time. We are thankful to the district administration for giving us the order. It is not only me who has benefitted, the seven others working with me are also earning good money,” stated Khan.
“We stay here in rented accommodations. Prior to the lockdown we used to visit villages and sell our products. We did not earn much, but somehow we managed. We were worried when the lockdown was enforced, because we were apprehensive that earnings would stop completely. Thankfully due to this order our families will be able to survive this difficult period,” Khan added.
PNN