Hotmix plant owners for cheaper bitumen

The Punjab Hotmix Plant Owners Association, whose members stopped work from March 31 in protest against the increasing rates of bitumen by petrochemical companies, held a meeting at the Hotel Maharaja Regency, Ferozepur Road, today, with about 125 members of this association attending.

Speaking to Business Standard, Balwinder Singh, president of the association, said that till December last year, the price of bitumen was Rs 13,000 per tonne. "By March 31, the price reached Rs 21,000 per tonne. Again on April 1, the petrochemical companies further increased the price by Rs 1,500 per tonne. The Hotmix plant owners are already in losses due to this price hike and that is why we were not left with any other option than to shut down our plants. We want government departments like the Public Works Department (PWD) to supply bitumen and not by companies. And the bitumen should be supplied at subsidised rates. Because of this strike, the construction work on many roads of the state is incomplete.''

In the meeting, it was pledged by the members to continue their protest for the realisation of their demands like increase in Common Schedule Rates (Premium), cost if raw materials, supply of bitumen by government departments etc.

Justifying their demands, Kulwinder Singh, member of the association said bitumen was supplied by the same companies that supply petrol and diesel.

"Whenever there is any increase in price of either diesel or petrol, the government involves itself in that matter and gets it solved. But the number of people who buy bitumen is far less than those consuming petrol and diesel. So the government is showing a step-motherly attitude towards us. For votes, these ministers lure people by showing developmental works like construction of roads in their constituency. And now, when the people involved with the construction of those roads are affected by increasing prices of bitumen, no one is paying heed towards our demands. We are incurring huge losses everyday and want that the government should step forward and help us out.''

Atul Garg, secretary of the association said in Maharashtra, when the prices of cement and steel increased, the government gave a special relief package to the contractors. "If the government of Maharashtra can take this step then why not the Punjab government?''

"Construction work of all the state roads will not start until all our demands are met,'' Garg added.