Builders' protest against govt's 'anti-development policies'

Kochi, Mar 5 (UNI) The construction industry here came to a grinding halt as the United Forum of Builders' Associations today staged a one-day protest against the anti-development policies of the Kerala Government.

Speaking to mediapersons here today, Kerala Builders' Association State President George Cherian Varkey said the government was chalking out policies, including the proposed floor area ratio (FAR) norms,'detrimental to the interests of the construction industry in the city.' ''By lowering the FAR to 1.25 compared to four in other cities in the state, the government is reversing the progress achieved in the city,'' he added.

He said there was a backlog of applications for approvals for various projects and the one-time building tax structure was an anathema for the industry here.

Mr Varkey said many new projects would not be viable because of less availability and high cost of built-up space in the city.

He said the industry was in a crisis and the prospects for around 60,000 labourers were bleak.

UNI