As the Ganeshotsav is just a few days away, the idol makers claim in Mumbai to have been hit by inflation and the recent GST imposition. Although, they said, that the enthusiasm in the public is very high after two years of COVID restrictions.One of the idol makers said that due to inflation, the price of raw materials has increased. This has increased their price of production. Henceforth, the idols have become expensive. "After two years Ganesh Utsav is being celebrated. This time there're no restrictions. The price of idols has increased due to a hike in prices of Plaster of Paris (PoP)," a seller said.
“After COVID, many of our labourers went back, so due to labour shortage, we have to pay higher wages to the labours. Due to inflation and the GST imposed by the government, the prices of raw materials have also risen. It has increased our production costs by around 40 to 50 percent. Overall, it has led to a rise in the price of the Ganesha idols by around 20 percent,” the idol maker said.Another shopkeeper talked about the enthusiasm in public for the festival, after two years of restrictions due to the pandemic.“For the last two years, many restrictions were imposed on Ganeshotsav due to the Corona crisis. Meanwhile, this year the relaxation in the restrictions has created excitement among devotees and industrialists. People are coming to purchase idols of all varieties and sizes. We are still getting the orders. Also, this year there will be no limit on the height of the Ganesh idol, so this year the festival will be celebrated with full enthusiasm,” the shopkeeper said.Moreover, the idol sellers also talked about the government's single-window scheme, which will facilitate Ganesh Mandals in getting all the necessary permissions in one place without any registration fee. Ganesh Chaturthi this year falls on August 31st.