Neeraj Bagga
Amritsar, February 22
A fortnight after the government announced that sand and gravel would be available at pit head price of Rs 5.50, their prices recorded a moderate decline in the local retail market.
Coarse sand is now being sold at about Rs 45 per cubic foot, which was earlier available at Rs 52 per cubic foot. Fine sand is being sold at nearly Rs 42 per cubic foot which was available at Rs 50 per cubic feet.
Similarly, there was a fall in the price of gravel. From a rate of nearly Rs 42 per cubic foot, it came to be sold at Rs 37 per cubic feet.
Harmanpreet Singh, a customer, said there was a moderate decline in the cost of construction after the restrictions on the price at pit head. He said the rates of these minor minerals had been very high for the past several months. It forced several home seekers with a limited budget to postpone their construction plans.
Satwant Singh, a contractor, said subsiding of the high rates was prompting people to resume construction work and the labourers were returning to the market. Consequently, construction-related works of carpenters, white-washing, false ceiling and other works were also picking up.
Earlier, the Charanjit Singh Channi-led Congress government had capped the pit head price of sand at Rs 5 per cubic feet in November 2021.
