Tadipatri black granite industry in dire straits

Tadipatri(Anantapur district): The once flourishing granite industry in Tadipatri is now in doldrums. Raw materiel cost inflation, increased power tariff, a dip in sales and exports and the Covid-19 challenges have resulted in the industry going down the drain and laying off hundreds of workers.

The Covid-19 situation further aggravated the fragile economic situation. The granite industry at one time provided jobs to hundreds of youth but adverse conditions in the industry played a role in the decline of the industry.

The boom in tiles industry and consumers' switch over from granite to tiles also contributed to the fall of the Tadipatri granite, popularly known as Black Granite.

Ramana Reddy, a granite processing unit owner, told 'The Hans India' that 50 per cent of the processing units downed their shutters post-Covid. Drastic fall in construction sector, decline in granite sales and inability of units to even pay power bills had prompted many unit owners to call it quits.

The processing unit operators say that the present Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy during his padayatra promised 50 per cent power subsidy to granite processing units if voted to power. If the CM implemented his promise, it would have eased the burden on the units.

Raghuveera, another operator, says four years ago the situation was not that bad but the Covid-19 lockdown conditions had resulted in virtual collapse of industrial economy. The indebtedness caused by bank loans' backlog and loss in cash circulation had turned the tide against the industry operators.

Many stakeholders of the industry bemoaned that they are compelled to borrow just to pay their power bills. Actually, the fall of construction sector due to Covid as well as raising inupt costs is one reason for many units collapsing under the weight of financial pressures.

Recently, power connections to many units were disconnected due to their failure to pay bills for many months.

There are a total of 1,188 granite units in Tadipatri, out of which black granite units are 370. AP Southern Power Distribution Company Limited authorities say that 500 granite units have failed to pay power bills to the tune of Rs 2 crore. Of the 500 units, nearly 200 units paid power bills in part. Of the 1,188 units, power connections have been withdrawn to 240 units.

The granite industry stakeholders are appealing to the Chief Minister to intervene and save their units from total closure by extending 50 per cent power subsidy.