PWD Contractors Assn urge TN Govt to revise rates

Coimbatore, May 16 (UNI) The Coimbatore District PWD contractors association today urged the Tamil Nadu Government to increase the scheduled fixed price to provide government contracts as the cost of building material had increased by 50 per cent.

Talking to reporters here, association president S R Ponnuswamy said work on building construction worth over Rs 700 crore had stopped for the last six months. A similar situation was prevaling in the neighbouring districts of Nilgiris and Erode also, he said.

Mr Ponnuswamy said the sand rate was Rs 1,399 per unit fixed by the govrnment but in the market it was Rs 1,800. Simlarly, the rate fixed by the government per 1,000 bricks was Rs 1,900 but in the market the rate was over Rs 3,000, he pointed out.

Alleging that the previous AIADMK government had not revised the rates during the last five years, Mr Ponnuswamy said the association was planning to meet Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in this regard.

UNI KS JJ ROY 1731