Madurai
Prices of construction materials were skyrocketing, making it difficult for the people to realise their dream of owning a house, said K. Rameshkumar, president, Association of Madurai Civil Engineers.
The association has sought the State government to set up a Price Regulatory Commission to keep the prices of construction materials under check. Members of the association staged a demonstration here on Tuesday and also boycotted purchase of construction materials for a day.
The prices were on the rise in the last one year and continued to increase even now, Mr. Rameshkumar said.
The price of a bag of cement that used to be ₹ 380 one year back was now ₹ 550. Similarly, the price of steel rods that was ₹ 42 a kg last year had increased to ₹ 80 a kg.
The prices of other materials like PVC pipes and electrical cables too had gone up by 40%, Mr. Rameshkumar added.
Even gravel and m-sand now cost 40% more. “We are told that due to lack of adequate number of quarries, the price of gravel has gone up,” he added.
It was not only the builders and engineers who suffered due to the price rise, but also the people who were constructing houses. “The size of the houses is coming down as they are not able to meet the additional costs of the materials,” he added.
Association secretary D.S. Manikandan and CREDAI Madurai district secretary S.R. Muthuvijayan were among those who took part in the protest.