Government’s failure to control prices of construction materials has left thousands jobless, say builders

Builders protest in Tamil Nadu against rising construction material prices, urging government to declare them essential commodities and regulate prices.

Condemning the Tamil Nadu Government for failing to check the skyrocketing prices of construction materials, members of Builders’ Association of India, Tirunelveli District Civil Engineers Association and Confederation of India Real Estate Developers Associations and construction workers staged a demonstration near Government Siddha Medical College in Palayamkottai on Monday.

Led by office-bearers of the associations K. Esakkiappan and S.K. Syed Ahamed, the protestors raised slogans against the spiralling prices of construction materials including cement, M-sand, bricks, steel and blue metal.

They said the government’s decision to increase the unit price of M-sand and blue metal would have serious impact on builders and owners of buildings. While the builders were being forced to revise their estimates frequently due to the failure of the Tamil Nadu Government, the owners, particularly middle-class families, were tormented as their budgets for construction of houses were exceeding all bearable limits.

Hence, the government should take steps for declaring construction materials as ‘essential commodity’, at least for those building their homes. The prices should be controlled by setting up a regulatory authority.

“Since the government has turned a blind eye towards this serious problem, it is robbing off employment to several lakh construction workers with people hesitating to start construction of their houses. So, the government should take immediate steps to bring down the prices of construction materials,” the protesters said.

Moreover, the government should also ensure availability of quality M-sand in the market by stipulating standards, they added.

Office-bearers P. Palanivel and A. Manmadhan of BAI, C. Muthukumar of Tirunelveli District Civil Engineers’ Association and others participated in the protest.