Himachal Pradesh Congress on Wednesday criticized the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur for failings to reign in private cement companies who have increased the prices by Rs 35 per bag and termed it as an injustice with the people as cement produced in the state is costing them more than in neighbouring states.
Nadaun MLA and former state Congress chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the cement companies had always acted against the directions of the state government and had indulged in arbitrary hikes.
“The cement companies has availed concessions on land, electricity and other facilities from the state government but still these are acting against the interests of the people of the state.
The state government should reign in these companies and should formulate strict norms and rules so that they don’t indulge in such arbitrary hikes,” he added.
Sukhu stated that these companies use state’s resources for cement production yet our people are getting the product at a higher price than in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.
He termed it as an injustice with the people of the state and said the recent hike in per bag price from Rs 30-35 will put extra burden on people of the state and it will further have an adverse impact on the construction sector in Himachal.
He urged the state government to wake up from slumber and give respite to the people of the state from such injustices in the times of rising inflation in the country.
He also asked the Jai Ram government to make public the report of Director, Industries which was constituted to examine reasons behind higher prices of cement in Himachal and urged to pressurise these companies to roll back the recent hike.