Builders in Mysore are facing a tough time with truckers intensifying their six-day-old strike. Truck owners are demanding a sand policy in the state in view of repeated action against trucks carrying sand from sand beds.
They have now decided not to lift construction material too until the government meets their demand to bring in a sand policy so that lorry operators are not put into trouble.
Consequent to their decision not to supply building material like bricks, stones, jelly stones and other items, builders are finding it tough to source these items. Most of those hit are the common house builders who have to cry a halt to their construction work. The worst hit are contractors who have contracted to complete construction within a stipulated period. They are forced to get building materials from other sources paying higher rates and face a cut in their margins.
When truck owners and drivers had resorted to a similar agitation a few months ago, Medical Education Minister S A Ramadas, who is the district minister in-charge as well, had promised to implement a sand policy from July 2011.
That was some six months ago.
Protesting against the failure to introduce the promised sand policy, over a 1,000 trucks had stopped shifting sand following a call by the City Lorry Owners’ Association to stop plying sand transporting trucks. Now, with other truck operators joining the strike and stopping transportation of building material, their number could be over 2,000, association sources said.
Association President B Kodandaramu has charged the government of neglecting their demand to bring forth a sand policy. Although it had promised such a policy, it remained silent about no moves in that direction. Besides imposing hefty fines on sand-laden trucks, it was also booking cases against the drivers and owners. Hence, they had no option but to resort to a strike.
Continuing their operation, the police seized about 15 sand-laden trucks, charging that they were carrying sand illegally, on October 23, at Hiriyur village in T Narasipur taluk of Mysore district. Later, they handed over the trucks to the authorities of mines and geology.
As a result of the indefinite strike, lorry owners, drivers, cleaners and loaders too are without work. They have parked their trucks in the terminal near the Mysore-Nanjangud Road.
