The government’s restrictions on participants at a wedding, has affected the band operators at these functions, already reeling under losses from last year’s lockdown.

Around 90 per cent of the 20 thousand marriages scheduled during the wedding season of April, May, June and July have been cancelled while the remaining 10 per cent are not opting for a band.

Manjit Kumar Soni, operator of one of the oldest band party based at Purana Bazar locality of Dhanbad said, “We had 200 bookings for the entire marriage season beginning from April 19 to July 15 but with new restriction limiting participants to 50 persons, around 90% of these bookings have been cancelled.”

“Majority of the instrument players come from Darbhanga, Samastipur, and some from Asansol and we have to pay them in advance. Due to cancelations we are going to suffer huge losses,” he said.

“My simple question to the government and administration is that if the virus has not spread during the political rallies and meetings, how can it spread during the marriages,” Soni added.

Pradeep Singh, president of Dhanbad Decorators association, said, “As large majority of marriages were cancelled during the last year and there was a long lagan season from April 19 to mid July during which there were huge booking for the decorators and we were expecting to compensate for the losses from last year but with increased restriction, all our expectation have been dashed.”

“We are also facing a dilemma due to lack of clarity with regard to transportation facilities for work at marriage sites as we need to transport materials and labour to the site for which any restriction will add to our difficulties, ”said Singh.