Srinagar, May 9: The All J&K Cement Retail Dealers’ Association Sunday warned the government of “serious consequences”, if cement manufacturers did not immediately reduce the cement prices.
 Protesting “sharp hike in cement prices by local manufacturers,” the members from all the district bodies of the association held a day-long peaceful demonstration at Pratap Park here on Sunday.
 The dealers said even as the Director Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department had issued a notice directing the manufacturers not to increase the cement prices till they presented details of production cost and other expenditures to the authorities, “the manufactures increased the prices by more than Rs 3000/truckload the next day only.”
 “This approach of the manufacturers is condemnable and government should take immediate action against them,” the retail dealers said.
 “If this approach goes unchecked by the authorities, we would have reason to believe that the government is shielding them,” Muhammad Ramzan, general secretary of the association, told Greater Kashmir amid slogans.
 “In that case we would have no option but to chalk out future programme for taking direct action,” he added.
 He said since January this year, the cement manufacturers had increased the prices by Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 per truckload, which, he said, was badly affecting their business.
 “In January, the prices of cement were Rs 32,000 a truckload (comprising 180 bags) that have now been increased to around Rs 46,000. This not only affects the consumers, but retail dealers as well,” he said and added that every month the manufacturers were arbitrarily increasing the cement prices by Rs 3,000 to 6,000 (per truckload).
 The dealers who had gathered at the venue strongly sought government intervention in the issue.
 They said even though the manufacturers were literally exploiting them, “nobody here is keeping a check on them.”
 “Our purpose of assembling here is to get our grievances addressed by the government and to find a way-out as to how to handle the situation,” they said.  
 The manufacturers on the other hand have been exempted from the central excise duty of Rs 8,000 for a period of 10 years, they said.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 9 May 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 9 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 10 May 2010 00:00:00 IST