Fixing sand price: Hardly any impact seen in Amritsar market

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 24

Government’s claim of fixing sand and gravel prices at Rs 5.5 per cubic feet at mining sites has had little impact on the rates of sand and gravel in the local retail market.

Fine sand is being sold at Rs20 per cubic feet, which was available at Rs26 per cubic feet over a week ago. Similarly, there was Rs500 fall in the rates of gravel per 100 cubic feet. A week ago, it was sold at Rs30 per cubic feet. Now, it is being sold at Rs25 per cubic feet. Coarse sand is being sold at Rs30 per cubic feet, which was earlier available at Rs33 per cubic feet.

Baljit Singh, a customer, said construction material suppliers demand Rs100 above the cost of material, citing transportation cost for high-diesel prices.

Charanjit Singh, district mining officer, said capping Rs5.5 per cubic feet price of fine sand has been implemented at all quarry sites of the district. The district does not have any mines of gravel and coarse sand. He said Deputy Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khaira held a meeting with retailers to fix the price of sand and gravel in the local market.