Lone vendor holds his ground as footfall wanes with shift of govt offices out of Panbazar

Guwahati: The familiar buzz that Panbazar once enjoyed — powered by the steady stream of visitors to the deputy commissioner’s office, office of the commissioner of police, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation and the Mahafezkhana — has quietly slipped into memory.What was once a lively hub of pan stalls, tea shops, and rows of sellers hawking govt job ads and books for competitive exams, now stands almost still.Notwithstanding the waning crowd, one small pan shop remains, stubbornly holding its ground where dozens once thrived. The rest have either moved elsewhere or shuttered their doors after footfall collapsed following the relocation of major govt offices over the past five years.Amid this stillness sits Upen Barua, 52, from Sipajhar in Darrang district — the last pan shop owner in the lane. He continues his trade, though not without struggle. His daily earnings, he says, have dropped by nearly 40–50%, a reminder of how a bustling corner of the city can fade when the crowds move away.Barua has been doing his business in the area for nearly last 20 years. “Business was good till all the offices were here. Thousands of people used to come to the offices daily. In 2022, govt shifted all offices to other parts of the city and demolished all the historic buildings to construct the Brahmaputra riverfront project. This has ended the flow of visitors and in turn impacted the businesses,” he said.Barua added that he used to earn Rs 5000-6000 per day before the offices were shifted. “Now, I hardly make Rs 2000-3000 per day. It has become difficult to run a family with price hike of essential items,” he added. Barua said he has a son pursuing graduation in Sipajhar College.All the buildings along the SP bungalow were demolished for construction of the Brahmaputra riverfront project.