Granite industry in dire straits
The Hindu
High royalty, rising diesel price and hefty freight dash hopes of major players
The granite sector was in the doldrums in 2021, thanks to ‘unimaginative” mining policy of the State government, hefty hike in ocean freights, and galloping price of fuel at a time when the sector was limping back to normal after the COVID-induced economic crisis the previous year.
Smarting under the impact of the lockdown and partial curfew imposed to combat coronavirus, the granite barons were hoping to meet the pent-up global demand for both natural and artificial stone material at Chimakurthy and other places in Prakasam district, which is home to the world-famous black galaxy granite, at least during the year after arranging vaccination for about one lakh migrant workers, a majority of them who had returned to work from northern States.
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