September 06, 2023 08:02 pm |Updated 08:45 pm IST - KOCHI
The All Kerala Quarry Crusher Coordination Committee has said that it will launch an indefinite strike from September 25, shutting down production of construction inputs such as granite and manufactured sand, in protest against the “unilateral action by the government that will make quarry operations financially unviable and almost impossible.” Stone Crusher
Committee general convener M.K. Babu said all the 600 quarries and around 12,000 crusher units would participate in the strike.
The threat of strike is a cause for worry for the construction industry, which fears that the prices of materials will go up further. Jolly Varghese, State chairman of Builders’ Association of India, said shortage of materials would definitely trigger a price rise. The prices of materials had gone up when quarry owners went on a strike early this year.
Quarry owners had launched an indefinite strike on April 17 this year and called off the strike after the constitution of a committee comprising all stakeholders, including government departments such as mining and geology, to discuss issues involved. No decisions were to be taken without consulting the committee, said Mr. Babu.
However, he said, the government issued an order on August 25. Lacking in clarity, the order requires quarry owners to pay large sums as fines for pending payments from quarrying. The government order is unacceptable, said Mr. Babu.
He also alleged that there were parallel authorities in the State above the Ministry of Environment and Forests to permit quarrying. Under such circumstances, around 300 quarries face possible closure. The closure comes even as around 600 quarry units are unable to meet the construction requirements of the State.
He claimed that the closure of quarries would lead to a situation where supply from neighbouring States would dominate the scene resulting in a large loss of revenue for the government.
Construction industry sources pointed out that bringing materials from other States involved considerable increase in transport cost, pushing up the input cost as a whole.
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