Bathinda August 22 With the immigration sector yet to recover post-lockdown shadow of Covid still looms large over it. Fearing the anticipated third wave students who are preparing for IELTS are continuing opting for the online mode which has come as a setback for hostels and PG accommodation owners who are bearing huge losses since March last year. Owing to the craze of settling abroad weighing heavy on the minds of youth the Ajit Road area in Bathinda had emerged as a hub of IELTS and immigration centres in the southern Malwa region for the past five years. This trend had also led to mushrooming of PG accommodations in the area but now with the downfall in the number of students opting for physical classes the PG business has been hit hard. Balram Singh a city resident said: “I was running a PG in a rented accommodation in the Ajit Road area and for two years I did good business. But due to Covid the number of students in the area decreased significantly and I had to shut the business for being unable to generate income for the past few months.” Dinesh Sharma another resident said he runs a girls PG in his house but since March last year it has been lying vacant and there is uncertainty as to when would the situation improve. — TNS Battling for survival With the numbers of students reducing drastically in the area small-time entrepreneurs running eateries stationary shops gift shops and others have also been hit and are battling for survival

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