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| ‘No development can take place without raw material’ | | Construction material drying up in J&K as Govt fails to formulate mining policy | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 3: The construction material is drying up in Jammu and Kashmir as the government has been unable to formulate a policy of designating mining areas for extracting raw material.
According to the people associated with the construction business “raw material has almost dried up, sand and gravel are hard to procure and escalating costs of the material are compounding the crunch.”
The contractors have been left high and dry as the supply chain continuity has been shaky for the past two years. “The prevailing uncertainty has not only hampered construction work in the government-financed projects but has also pushed the existing mines and stone crushers to closure, for lack of environmental clearance or other permissions.”
President of Kashmir Contractors committee told a Srinagar based daily that the unavailability of the raw material has also diminished prospects of the works called for tendering under NABARD XXVI which need a huge quantum of raw material.
Purza said that had the raw material been available contractors would have bagged tenders worth several hundred crores for projects across the Valley, but they are handicapped by the lack of supplies and almost all the raw material is currently being sourced clandestinely.
“It seems as if we are the ‘wrongdoers’, as no tipper or truck operator assures us of supplies and what is sourced is delivered stealthily, due to fear of fines or seizure of vehicles,” he said, adding that the problem is affecting not only development works in Kashmir but also in Jammu, where contractors face a similar quandary.
In Jammu many are forced to source raw material like gravel and sand from neighbouring Punjab, where one gets the material hassle-free by paying royalty to the government at the time of purchase. Truckloads are obtained with ease.
“ Jammu and Kashmir has enormous resources but authorities not acting on time has led to things coming to a standstill,” said, a contractor.
“How is development possible without the construction material being unavailable?” he added.
Truckers and tipper drivers are reluctant to carry the construction material as they fear that they will be booked by the law enforcing agencies. “We are being treated like outlaws,” he added.
Closure of mines has snatched jobs of many and has added to the financial burden of contractors in times of Covid pandemic. Price escalation has wiped any hopes of profits.
In the last two years, the cost of sand has almost doubled. While a tipper of 150 sq ft cost Rs 7,500 two years ago, today its cost is around Rs 15,000. Same is the case with gravel of different grades, not to talk of soil, which has almost disappeared because no tipper operator is willing to carry it.
The prevailing crisis can have severe ramifications on the ongoing season of development works. The raw material in various districts has already been exhausted. |
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