Gaya, April 20: The shift of the Army Services Corps (ASC) centre (north) that has been finally moved to Bangalore to be merged with the ASC centre (south) has spelt doom for the business community here.

Ajit Agarwal, a bookseller and Rotarian, told The Telegraph: “The economy of Gaya will be adversely affected. About Rs 12-15 crore was spent per month on the salary of about 5,000 army personnel posted in various ranks here. Almost half the amount was spent in the local markets for buying clothes, cereals, vegetables, cosmetics, books and other items. The shift of the ASC centre would suddenly spell doom for the business community here.”

Everything is not right on the weather front too.

Gaya is one of the hottest cities in India as its temperature crosses 48°C during summers. The afforestation drive undertaken by the army here had a great effect to cool down the temperature here.

Soldiers of the ASC centre planted lakhs of saplings that keep the temperature around the centre at least 2 to 5 degrees below the normal temperature of Gaya during summer.

However, all is not lost for Gaya, as the Officers Training Academy (OTA) will be set up here. The OTA would be only the second one in India after Chennai.

Army Services Corps Centre (north) Struggling Committee (ASCSC) convener Vijay Kumar Mithu told The Telegraph: “We welcome the setting up of OTA at Gaya. Facilities within the OTA campus will certainly increase, as senior rank army personnel will be posted here. However, when ASC was here, more than 5,000 trained soldiers at the centre were ready to serve the society during natural calamities, like floods in north Bihar. Apart from that there was a feeling of security among people residing around the ASC area.”

The ASC shift although will not affect the recruitment of youths from the state, as the recruitment office has not been shifted. Moreover, the quota of each state is fixed and the youths from Bihar would get their share whether the ASC is at Gaya or in Bangalore, Mithu said.