KOCHI: Concerned over the crisis on the development front triggered by an acute shortage of rock aggregate, Works Minister G Sudhakaran said the government will look into the complaints raised by the construction sector. “The government is aware of the crisis. The closure of quarries has led to a standstill in development works. My personal opinion is some quarries should be issued the licence if they agree to abide by the rules. It is not feasible to bring rock and aggregate from other states. The District Collectors should adopt a proactive role and try to ensure the government projects are not delayed due to non-availability of rock. We have discussed the issue and the Chief Minister is also aware of the situation. I will discuss the issue with the Industries Minister and try to find out whether we can indeed provide some relaxation for the quarries to function,” he told Express.
Development projects across the state have been hit hard by the acute scarcity of rock coupled with the licensing and environmental bottle necks. The ensuing air of uncertainty on the development front is set to take a heavy toll on the state even as the drive against illegal quarries has been generally well received by the public. According to government officers and firms implementing projects, works worth several thousand crore is set to be affected. The local self-government (LSG) bodies are the worst hit as a delay in completion of works can lead to lapse of funds to the tune of around `1,000 crore.
“ We have briefed the Collectors and executive engineers on the crisis. Going by the present pace, not even 40 per cent of the works will be completed before March 31. The government should intervene and ensure adequate supply of rock aggregate. The supply of rock aggregate does not meet even a quarter of the demand. The price of aggregate is shooting up due to the rising demand,” said Gopalakrishnan, a government contractor.
C K Ramachandran, a leading government contractor and former national trustee of Builders’ Association of India, said the government should initiate steps to bring rock from neighbouring states to tide over the crisis. “Government works have come to a standstill due to non-availability of rock and delay in releasing funds. Contractors are in crisis as the government is delaying the release of pending arrears to the tune of `1,000 crore. The contractors are forced to quote works at lower rates as the banks will close the overdraft if they don’t have work orders,” he said.
PWD Chief Engineer (Roads and Bridges) M N Jeevaraj said the government is seized of the situation. “The closure of illegal quarries has led to a shortage of rock and aggregate. We are aware of the situation and the shortage is delaying projects. The department has discussed the issue and we are discussing steps to ensure availability of aggregate,” he said.
Crushed stone from TN
With works getting stalled due to non-availability of crushed stone, contractors are exploring the possibility of bringing in aggregate from Tamil Nadu. However, the move proved unviable as transportation charges are high.“I visited Thenkasi and Theni to check the availability of aggregate, However, one tonne of aggregate will cost `2,000 if we bring it from Tamil Nadu. Here, we are getting aggregate at the rate of `800. All works including concrete and bitumen laying have been affected. We were confident of completing the project by May, 2018, but the present crisis has derailed our plans,” said M V Sreekumar, vice president of RDS projects which is executing the Alappuzha bypass project.
Overcharging of construction goods under scanner
Kochi: The government will investigate complaints of alleged overcharging of construction materials by the quarries and rock crusher units, Works Minister G Sudhakaran said in a Facebook post on Monday. According to the builders, the quarries have hiked the rates of M Sand, plastering sand and rock aggregate. “Charging exorbitant rates in the name of GST is unacceptable. As some quarries have been closed down, there is scarcity of construction materials and some quarries are exploiting the situation.
I have brought the issue to the notice of the Chief Minister and the Industries Minister. The attitude of quarry owners will impact the construction sector badly. The tax on construction materials has come down after implementation of the GST. The government will consider steps to defuse the crisis,” the minister said.