Kerala: Construction work in limbo due to quarry crisis

KOLLAM: The intervention by district administration fixing ceiling price for quarry products in the district has gone awry as the quarry operators are allegedly reluctant to abide by it.  The construction industry remains crippled with non-availability of building materials including granite. “Out of six quarries operating in the district, only one has agreed to provide materials at the fixed rates. Others insist on the administration agree to give clearance for those remain shut owing to lack of environmental clearance,” said P. Pradeep, All Kerala Government Contractors Association district secretary.

The association plans to march on PWD office in Kollam on Monday to press their demand.  “As the contractors are on tender boycott protest, there are benami contractors quoting tenders with the help of employees with the public works department,” he added.  From October 15, they will halt all works. They also allege that the inquiry on the suicide of two contractors after payment denial has reached nowhere. The district administration under district collector Dr S. Karthikeyan had set a ceiling for prices on construction materials such as granite and sand including the compound tax on recommendations by the committee convened by the land revenue deputy collector. 

The new price for granite is Rs 15 per cubic feet, Rs 30 for metal chips, M Sand Rs 50, rock dust Rs 35, GSB Rs 20, and P sand Rs 60, as directed by the district administration. A committee was formed to assess the prices on the contractors' petition against the extortion by quarry owners. Various departments including PWD and geology and crusher and quarry unions and the contractors association were part of the committee that reached consensus on the new tariff.