Tamil Nadu Construction Engineers Strike Against Quarry Price Hikes

Work on construction sites in areas of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry ground to a halt on Monday as engineers and contractors went on a one-day strike and held demonstrations against the sharp increase in raw material prices by local crushers and quarries.

Organized by the Federation of All Construction Engineers Associations of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the protest witnessed a huge attendance of civil engineers and contractors from Krishnagiri and Hosur. The strike targeted the rising costs of M-Sand, P-Sand, and gravel, critical construction materials the Federation says have unjustifiably increased despite stable fuel and power costs.

The Federation has demanded that the state government take control of quarry and crusher operations. “If the government takes over mineral mining, it can generate additional revenue and make construction materials affordable to the public,” the Federation stated.

Among the key demands were the immediate reopening of river sand quarries to meet the growing demand of Tamil Nadu’s fast-growing construction sector and the creation of a regulatory authority to rein in escalating construction costs.

Protesters also slammed the 28% GST on construction materials, urging the Union government to bring down the rate to make building activity more viable.

Apart from quarry-based price increases, the associations urged the government to step in and contain escalating prices of cement and steel rods two other major inputs influencing construction costs.

The protest saw various industry bodies congregate, including Real Estate Developers Association of India (REDAI), Builders Association of India, local body construction contractors of Krishnagiri and Hosur, the Hosur Eminent Civil Engineers Association, and the Hosur Construction Engineers Association.

The combined plea is indicative of increasing anxieties among stakeholders in the sector that unless immediate government action, the industry will continue to suffer slowdowns, cost escalations, and frozen projects.