TFP Bureau, Raipur; September 18, 2024: The Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee has claimed that cement prices in the state have been reduced due to the protests and pressure exerted by the Congress. Senior spokesperson Dhananjay Singh Thakur stated that the BJP government had initially surrendered to industrialists, allowing cement companies to raise prices by up to Rs 50 without intervention. However, the Congress’s demonstrations forced the industrialists to lower the prices.
Thakur criticized the BJP government, accusing it of being a “puppet in the hands of capitalists” and alleging that officials were silent on the price hikes due to their own interests. He highlighted that while cement is produced more cheaply in Chhattisgarh, the state’s residents were paying up to Rs 50 more per bag compared to other states. Despite cheaper raw materials, electricity, and labor costs in Chhattisgarh, the price increase burdened the local population.
Thakur further accused the government of being complicit in the rising costs of construction materials, claiming that the price of sand had surged from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000 per truck, along with sharp increases in steel and brick prices. He argued that these price hikes were stifling the dreams of the poor to build homes, with the BJP government benefiting financially from the capitalist-driven inflation.
