The indefinite strike by members of the Tamil Nadu Stone Quarry, Crusher and Lorry Owners Association has severely hit the construction sector in Tamil Nadu, said president of Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India, Coimbatore, Gugan Ilango.
The quarry association is demanding relaxation of rules on mining minor minerals that are used to lay roads and construct buildings.
With the lorries that ferry construction materials stopping operations, there is shortage of blue metal, M-sand, P-sand, quarry dust, and even ready mix concrete.
“This has brought the construction industry in the State to a grinding halt,” he said.
Construction of factories and houses will be affected if the strike continues and will also slow down vital infrastructure projects of the Government. The common man is unnecessarily being burdened with the resultant rise in costs. “This is a huge set back at a time when the construction sector is returning to normalcy,” added Aravind Kumar, secretary of CREDAI Coimbatore.
The local chapter of CREDAI urged the quarry owners to approach the government and resolve the issues at the earliest and the government to intervene.
The Crusher and Quarry Owners Association said the strike by the crusher and quarry workers has caused a daily loss of ₹1,300 crore because of lack of sale of these materials and several workers from the northern States are returning to their home towns.
KCP Chandraprakash, president of the Association, said the cost of construction materials has doubled, causing immense financial strain on the public, because of the strike. With approximately 7,150 crusher and quarry owners in the State having invested approximately ₹32,000 crore in the industry, these business owners are now struggling to obtain loans because of the difficulties they face.
Published - June 29, 2023 07:43 pm IST
