Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 26: Activists of Dogra Front and Shiv Sena here today staged a protest demonstration against the soaring prices of construction materials.
The protest was led by Shiv Sena president, Ashok Gupta and the protesters raised slogans against the Mining Department.
Addressing the protesters Ashok Gupta said that mining has been banned in J&K resulting which supply of sand and gravel from river Tawi has been affected.
He said that J&K High Court banned mining activities two years back to check uncontrolled extraction of minerals from river Tawi, nullah near Sidhra Bypass Bridge, Jajjar nullah and Kattal Battal.
“The ban was to save Tawi riverbed on which four bridges are constructed but other sites of mining in the peripheries were not brought under the ban,” the Shiv Sena leader maintained.
He claimed that before ban the cost of a sand filled trolley was Rs. 1200 which is now available at Rs. 4500 and cost of stones shoot up from Rs. 1500 to Rs. 5000 resulting which cost of construction has increased.
Gupta stated that due to hike in the cost of construction material and less availability of sand and stones public work undertaken by contractors has been halted.
The Shiv Sena leader urged upon the J&K Lieutenant Governor to take cognizance of the matter as high cost of construction is affecting the common man and the sand mafia is still continuing sand mining.
Sukhdev, Subhash, Kewal, Vijay, Dineshwar, Sham, Ajay, Prem, Vinay, Kalu, Bantu, Fauji and others were also present in the protest.
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