BHOPAL: The Union government's announcement to disrobe VVIP and VIP vehicles of red beacons has caught the traders unawares and they are staring at huge losses due to the sudden ban. There are around 250 shops in the city engaged in selling red, blue and umber beacons."The cost of a beacon depends on its quality and varies from Rs 500 to 1,200," said Rakesh Sogani, who owns an automobile shop at Hamidia road. "It seems that the manufacturer with whom I have been doing business for the last several years, had an inkling about the decision and he dumped beacons worth around Rs 50,000 at my shop," he said.He said before taking such vital decisions, the government should have given manufacturers some time to stop production to save traders like him from incurring losses. "We will approach the chief minister with our grievance and request him to pursue with our manufactures in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to take their products back and repay us our money," said Sogani."The government should find a solution to the unsold beacons lying with us," said Sandeep Golani, adding, the Union government's decision caused heavy losses to traders like him. He expects the manufacturer should at least exchange red or umber glasses with blue ones.Golani hoped the senior government officials come up with a solution to their grievance.Sources believe at least 40 beacons of all three colours are lying in each shop, claiming beacons worth Rs 6 lakh could have been dumped in the market in the recent past.RTO Sunil Rai Saxena said the decision was taken by the Union government and he had no immediate solution to the traders' woes."It's now the wait and watch situation for traders," he said, adding, the state government might take a decision in this regard.

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