Cement prices set to go up by Rs 30 per bag from Mar 1
   Date :27-Feb-2021

Cement _1  H x
 
Giving a perfect example of indulging in cartelisation to jack-up cement prices, all the leading manufacturers on Friday declared an uniform hike that will come into effect from March 1.
The companies have hiked cement price by Rs 30 per bag of 50 kg each.
In the wholesale category, the cement price jumped from Rs 280 per bag (including GST) to Rs 310 per bag (including GST) while in the retail category, the commodity price went up from Rs 320 per bag (including GST) to Rs 350 per bag (including GST).
Sources told The Hitavada that all the leading companies have made uniform hikes in the prices which indicates that the cement manufacturing units are adopting ‘unethical practices’.
“This has become a standard practice on the part of the companies. They join hands and make unnatural hikes in the prices. It affects the consumers,” said one of the cement dealers on a condition of anonymity.
The dealers also alleged the companies of artificially pushing up demand of cement by way of disrupting its supply. “For the past one week, the companies were not supplying the material despite booking it in advance. They stopped the supply event as enough material was available with them. The intention was to create an artificial shortage of the commodity. And now the companies are forcing us to buy the commodity as per the new rates. It is clear that
the companies are doing to extract additional bucks from us,” said the dealer.
Anil Nair, Chairman of Nagpur Centre of Builders Association of India, Nagpur Chapter also raised strong objection over price hike and termed it as manipulative action by the cement producing big companies.
“How can we see rise in cement prices when there is no hike in prices of raw material. It is nothing but a cartelisation. This is going on for quite long and it is affecting the real estate sector. All the affordable housing schemes and many other infrastructure projects are losing financial feasibility. It is a matter of big concern for all of us and thus we have been requesting the policy makers to come up with a mechanism to stop it. We have been demanding a regulator in the cement and steel sector which can safeguard the interest of the consumers,” he said. It is worth mentioning here that the steel prices have also witnessed a sharp hike in the recent past.