Construction activity in Visakhapatnam - already hit by demonetisation and GST imposition as elsewhere - is further hampered by shortage of sand and high prices, according to members of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI).
Addressing the media after the managing committee meeting of the CREDAI (AP) here on Friday its chairman K. Subba Raju said for the past three years the problem had been persisting in Visakhapatnma city, and repeated appeals to the State government to address it had gone in vain.
He said there were no sand reaches (or ramps) in Visakhaptnam district and the sand was being brought here from the neighbouring Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts.
"There are eight sand reaches in Srikakulam and of them only one is operational now. Artificial scarcity is being created and the price of sand is now ₹ 25,000 per six units/18 cubic mts. The problem is further compounded by vigilance raids. Sand mafia is ruling the roost,” he said.
He said the State government should at least take note of it and make sand available freely at a reasonable rate.
A. Siva Reddy, president of CREDAI(AP), said apart from the sand issue a lot of confusion was prevailing over the imposition of GST and on the issue of input tax credit.
Ch. Sudhakar, Credai general secretary, spoke.
