Construction workers demand lifting of curbs on sand

Guntur: Building construction workers squatted on the road and staged dharna at Market Centre in Tenali on Tuesday stating that they have no work for the last two months due to stopping of sand quarrying in the sand reaches.

They said, as a result they are unable to feed their families and pay school fee to their children and facing several financial constraints. They demanded the government to take steps to start sand quarrying immediately to revive building construction activity generating employment to the thousands of workers.

They further said that when the building construction activity came to a grinding halt, other activities relating to building construction also have come to a halt. They raised slogans in support of their demand . When the vehicles stranded on the road, the police swung into action and shifted the building workers to the police station. Later, police freed them.

Again, they staged protest at tahsildar's office. They further said that at present lorry sand is being sold at Rs.14,000, the government is giving Rs.3-lakh financial assistance for the construction of the houses. But the construction of houses for weaker sections were stopped at some places in the middle, they complained.

They stressed on the need to control price of sand and cautioned that if the government did not take steps, they will intensify their agitation. They submitted a memorandum to the Tahsildar's office in Tenali town urging him to take steps to release sand.