Rajasthan asks for withdrawal of marble import quota hike

New Delhi, Aug 7 (UNI) Rajasthan has urged the Centre to withdraw increase in marble import quota to save its own marble industry in the state which produces 91 per cent of the valued stone in India.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje met Union Commerce Minister Kamal Nath to press for immediate withdrawal of the recent quota hike from 1.30 lakh tonnes to 1.95 lakh tonnes, saying it benefitted only 20-25 units of Mumbai and Silvasa at the cost of high employment-generating marble industry in Rajasthan.

After an hour-long presentation of its case by the Rajasthan CM here last evening, Mr Kamal Nath assured her at a review of the hike to reduce its adverse effects on the state marble industry and people employed in it, the state government said today.

Holding about 63 per cent of India's marble deposits, Rajasthan's 20 of 32 districts produce it and 2,00,000 people are directly employed in the industry, the government added.

UNI