Kerala: Quarry owners’ strike enters day 3, construction sector severely hit

Thiruvananthapuram, April 19 : Kerala Quarry and Crusher Coordination Committees strike entered the third day on Wednesday which has severely affected the construction sector.

However, the intensifying strike is likely to bring the states construction sector to a grinding halt, rendering lakhs of unskilled workers, including migrant workers jobless.

The committee is protesting the Pinarayi Vijayan governments decision to hike the fees with regards to the entire gamut of the construction sector ranging from sanctioning permits for new constructions and the royalties to be collected from the nearly 630 Quarry owners.M K Babu, general convener of the Committee, said the new rates that have been levied on them are "unrealistic" and one which will "finish off" the construction sector.

"The increase in royalty is from Rs 24 per tonne to Rs 48, security fee has gone up from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.With regards to the fines imposed on violation of the Lease Act, it has been jacked up from Rs 25,000 to Rs 5 lakh.

The fine for over-mining has gone up from Rs 72 per tonne to Rs 240.And with regards the load, a truck that has a capacity of eight tonnes can now fill only four tonnes," said Babu.They have written a letter to the Chief Minister to consider the immediate revision of the new fees, failing which they will have no other option but to close down their business.

The fresh permit fees and a comparison of the present rate in the three other South Indian states have added to the misery of construction sector.While the application fee for a new building in Kerala has been jacked up from Rs 50 to Rs 5,000, in all the three South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh its free.Likewise the permit fee in Kerala for every square metre is Rs 200, while in TN its Rs 12.50 per sq.m, in Karnataka its Rs 20 and in AP its Rs 30.And a brief comparison of construction materials, also shows Kerala leads the pack as one cubic feet of M-Sand in Kerala costs Rs 81, at Karnataka its Rs 38 per cft and in TN its Rs 50.A cft of blue metal in Kerala costs Rs 75, Karnataka- Rs 28 and TN its Rs 38.Similarly, the charges levied by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority the scene is no different as in Kerala its Rs 10 per sqm for land and Rs 50 per sqft for building, while in TN and Karnataka its Rs 5 for land and Rs 10 for building.A builder on condition of anonymity said in a few days time, the construction will come to an end, as the stock of construction materials at ongoing construction sites will get over in a few days.

"After that, its going to be tough as thousands of labourers will have to go without wages and the game plan which is done by ruling parties is every time there is hike, the affected parties join together and then a discussion takes place and things are settled at a price.This time so far no such move has started.Things appear very bleak," the builder alleged.

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