Fulfill poll promise relating to construction materials: Palaniswami to DMK

Chennai, Oct 23 (IANS) Leader of Opposition and AIADMK Joint Coordinator K. Palaniswami on Saturday demanded that the ruling DMK government in Tamil Nadu include construction materials in essential commodities list and make them available to people at a fair price.

Citing the spiralling prices of cement, sand, blue metal, steel, among others soon after the DMK came to power in Tamil Nadu, Palaniswami said the incumbent government has failed to fulfil its poll promise.

The DMK had promised to bring construction materials under the essential commodities list so that people can avail them at fair prices, he added.

Tamil Nadu,he said, produces more cement than other states. But the retail price of cement is Rs 470 per bag as against Rs 370 sold before the DMK came to power.

Nowhere in the country is cement being sold at such a high rate. In Delhi, the retail price of a cement bag is Rs 350, Andhra Pradesh-- Rs 370, Telangana-- Rs 360 and Karnataka-- Rs 380, Palaniswami added.

Similarly, the prices of M-sand have gone up to more than Rs 5,000 per unit (old price Rs 3,000), blue metal costs more than Rs 3,800 (old price Rs 2,000), one ton steel costs more than Rs 78,000 (old price Rs 48,000), bricks Rs 29,000 (old price Rs 18,000), among others, the AIADMK Joint Coordinator said.

According to him, the construction cost per sq.ft has gone up to Rs 3,100 from about Rs 2,200 at the start of 2021.