Gujarat: Real-estate developers go on strike over cement, steel price hike
Ahmedabad: Real-estate developers and contractors in Gujarat on Friday joined the day-long nationwide strike to protest against the "exorbitant hike" in prices of cement and steel.
Work has been stalled at 20,000 construction sites across the state, hitting 20 lakh daily-wage labourers, said Arvind Patel, chairman of Gujarat Contractors Association.
All major organisations associated with the real estate and construction sector, including Gujarat chapters of Builders' Association of India and Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) have joined the nationwide strike.
There is an average 40 per cent hike in the prices of all key construction materials, mainly cement and steel, Patel said, adding that diesel and bitumen prices have also risen significantly.
"The hike in prices will ultimately affect customers, who will have to shell out more money, as the construction costs will also shoot up," he said.
The rise in cost of materials will adversely affect the nation's growth trajectory, he said.
"Steel and cement are some of the major construction materials used in all segments of the industry. Since contractors mostly work on fixed rate-fixed time basis, the frequent rise in prices will make it difficult for them to survive," Patel said.
Meanwhile, CREDAI Gujarat president Ashish Patel said although there are five cement manufacturing plants in Gujarat, prices here are higher than in Bihar, which does not have a single plant.
"In Gujarat, the price of one cement bag is around Rs 300, while in Bihar it costs Rs 240. Such a high price increases the construction cost. This open loot must end. The government should form a regulatory body to govern steel and cement prices," he said.
As against the ideal price of Rs 37,000 per tonne, steel prices have skyrocketed to Rs 60,000 a few months ago.
"After we made a representation, it came down to around Rs 50,000 per tonne recently. However, this rate is still high. Ideally, it should be around Rs 37,000. Though these companies were fined in the past for such trade practices, nothing has changed," Patel said.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
