ONGOLE: In a major protest against the State government’s revised senerage policy, Chimakurthy-based Galaxy Granite industry leaders have announced a factory bandh from Wednesday.
The move comes after the government appointed a private agency to collect enhanced Mineral Dealers Licence (MDL) fees from granite units, sparking widespread dissent.
The bandh is expected to severely impact nearly 800 granite factories across Chimakurthy, Budawada, Kambhampadu and surrounding areas, affecting around 40,000 to 50,000 workers and disrupting the district’s industrial growth.
According to the Chimakurthy Galaxy Granite Industries Owners Association, the government has shifted to a slab-based MDL fee system, increasing the fee from Rs 27,000 to Rs 35,000 per blade, which could rise to Rs 40,000 with GST. The association claims this will impose an unbearable financial burden on most units.
A meeting held at Ramatheertham Granite Industrial Training Centre on Tuesday, presided over by Y Srinivasa Rao, saw over 650 factory owners unanimously support the bandh.
They also resolved to halt purchases of raw granite blocks and suspend MDL fee payments until a resolution is reached.
“The government ignored our repeated appeals on MDL fee and other long-pending issues. We are forced into this bandh despite the financial strain it causes. We urge the government and public representatives to intervene,” Srinivasa Rao told TNIE.
The association demands an amicable solution from the government or the agency to avoid further disruption.