A commercial artist makes a banner in the run-up to the civic poll in Chaibasa. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Chaibasa, March 14: Painters, including those involved in writing number-plates, are a busy lot these days. Reason: high demand for posters and banners for the ensuing civic body polls.

While the established painters are already making hay, thanks to soaring demand for posters and banners from the large number of candidates in fray for different posts, the number-plate writers are not far behind. They, too, are designing posters and banners in a bid to make some fast buck.

A casual visit to market areas here revealed that quite a few number-plate writers were busy painting candidates’ symbols and their messages.

One such painter was so busy with his assignment that he told The Telegraph: “This is peak time for us. I guess you will have to wait for sometime to talk to me because I will have to finish this banner.”

After much persuasion he said that quite a few number-plate writers like him were currently busy in making posters and banners. “Everybody’s hands are full as there are so many candidates in the fray and each one of them is trying to woo voters through posters and banners,” he said.

Pintu of Pintu Arts, a shop nearby, was more forthcoming about the business, though.

He said: “Different rates are fixed for different sizes. We generally charge up to Rs 130 for a 2m banner. Larger the size, higher is the price. It also varies with urgency for delivery,” said Pintu.

“We have a family to look after and we cannot meet both ends by merely writing number-plates. This is helping us to support our family,” added Pintu.

According to these painters, besides ordinary banners on cloth, the ones called “flex” are high on demand. The entire message for this kind of banner is printed through computers and there is a special flex material on which the painting is done.

“General market rate for these types of flex banners are around Rs 30-40 per square feet. The reasons behind its high demand are its durability and strength,” said a painter.