Andhra Pradesh law to dampen cement price rise

The state government is planning to issue an ordinance amending the Essential Commodities Act to rein in cement companies which are refusing to reduce prices.

This is being done since the attempts by the cabinet subcommittee headed by the Finance Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, to persuade the cement companies to bring down prices did not work out.

The committee is expected to broach the idea of an ordinance with the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, on Thursday.

“We have given enough time to the companies to reduce prices but many of them are turning a deaf ear to the public demand,” said the minister for Housing, Mr Botsa Satyanarayana. Sources said the state was also thinking of cancelling mining licenses extended to the cement companies if they remained stubborn. “That will happen only if all the other means fail,” said Mr Satyanarayana.

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