500 closed crushers hitting livelihood of many, say entrepreneurs

Amritsar, October 4

Entrepreneurs are a perturbed lot as the government is not keen to reopen 500 crushers lying closed in the state like sand mining sites. This has adversely impacted the income of crushers, mining contractors and labourers, besides shooting up the prices of sand and gravel in the market.

Ultimately, people are the worst- sufferers who have to shell out more to buy construction materials.

Piara Lal Seth, president of the Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal, said the government did not bother to take stock of the supply chain of these materials and people involved in the trade. The government is earning Rs 700 per hundred cubic feet of sand and gravel brought from Himachal Pradesh.

He accused the government of passing on the benefits to the Himachal-based crusher industry for political gains.

Other entrepreneurs like Sunil Mehra, LR Sodhi and Virendra Ratna said ancillary businesses associated with the crusher industry like spare parts, electrical, welding, plumbing, fitters and others was lying closed down.

They said the public was forced to buy sand and gravel at double the price and many development works in the state are closed due to the alleged anti-people policy of the government.