CPI(M) leader Ch. Babu Rao has said that the government has completely failed in solving the sand scarcity. As a consequence, nearly 60 lakh construction workers have lost their livelihood. There was no sand policy at all for five months and then came the lockdown.
The illegal sand business, which resulted in the price of the mineral going up steeply, and a rise in cement prices dealt a severe blow to the construction industry. It was the workers who bore the brunt of the crisis. If the government did not come to their rescue, the plight of construction workers would worsen, Mr. Babu Rao stated in a press release.
Mr. Babu Rao questioned the reason for Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s inability to sort out the issue which crippled the economy, given the assurance that he would eliminate corruption from the mining of sand and its sale.
‘Funds unused’
He also asked why not a single rupee was being disbursed towards welfare of the construction workers in spite of the availability of a ₹1,000 crore fund, and demanded that the government should release a White Paper on it.
The CPI(M) leader insisted that a financial assistance of ₹10,000 should be given immediately. The construction workers continued to struggle even after the lockdown was relaxed, he said.
