Collector P.Seetharaman holding a meeting with the brick kiln owners in Cuddalore on Monday.
CUDDALORE:
With the construction works under the Kalaignar housing scheme picking up momentum, the Cuddalore district administration is gearing to meet the requirements of construction materials.
Cuddalore has the second largest number of 2,10,758 huts, next to Villupuram, in the State and of which 1,26,735 have been found eligible for conversion into concrete houses under the scheme. But there is an enormous requirement of building materials for the purpose. For instance, for the construction of 26,119 houses in the first phase a total number of 19 crore bricks would be required this year.
In a meeting convened here on Monday by District Collector P.Seetharaman, the brick kiln owners expressed certain constraints in meeting the demand. Since, rainy season was ahead for the next three months it would be a difficult task to turn out so many bricks within the stipulated time. Moreover, the brick industry was already facing labour shortage and hence, it would be a gigantic task to mobilise the workforce as well as funds as it would require huge investment.
The Collector told them that this was the opportune time for the kiln owners to get bulk orders from the government. They could also use the existing stocks to fulfil the demand. Mr. Seetharaman also suggested usage of flyash in brick production and promised to get loan, with subsidy, from the Khadi and Village Industries Board for the purpose. The Collector even said that if there was any slippage in the supply position he was even contemplating to tap the resources from other districts such as Namakkal and Thanjavur where the number of houses to be built under the scheme was comparatively less.
The Collector underscored the point that as a supplementary measure the district administration had already trained members of about 175 Self-Help Groups in brick making and preparing the iron works for the proposed constructions. For the purpose, a loan of Rs 7 crore was given away to these SHGs, at the rate of Rs 4 lakh each. The Collector said that the kiln owners could enter into a memorandum of understanding with the respective Panchayat Presidents and the Block Development Officers for determining the number of bricks required and the price factor.
The market sources said that in anticipation of a huge demand for bricks under the scheme the prices of bricks had gone up significantly from Rs 2,300 to Rs 4,000 (per 1,000). The construction of private buildings would thus be hit both by the price increase in construction materials and short supply of labour, the sources added.
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