The territorial administration will launch its subsidised cement scheme under the brand ‘Sonia Gandhi’ on the lines of ‘Amma’ products synonymous with former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, to market the commodity at a low cost, Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy informed the House on Tuesday.
Intervening while Social Welfare Minister M. Kandasamy was replying to the high price of cement, the Chief Minister said the government was aware of the difficulty faced by public due to increase in the price of cement and shortage of sand.
Agreeing to the stand taken by the Minister on rolling out subsidised cement scheme in the name of the Congress president, he said the government would convene a meeting of cement dealers here to work out the modalities of launching the scheme.
Mr. Narayanasamy said the shortage of sand had also hit construction activity by government undertakings.
‘Supply less from T.N.’
The sand shortage, he said, was due to reduced supply from Tamil Nadu.
Mr. Narayanasamy said he had discussed the issue with Tamil Nadu Minister Jayakumar at the meeting of Southern Chief Ministers held a few months ago at Thiruvananthapuram.
The government would make a formal request to Tamil Nadu to provide more sand to Puducherry, he said.
The issue of rise in price of cement and non-availability of sand was raised by AIADMK (Amma faction) leader A. Anbalagan during zero hour.
He said the poor and middle class were finding it difficult to take up construction activity due to high price of cement and shortage of sand. Both the factors together had brought construction to a standstill bringing their livelihood to a standstill.
He urged the government to emulate the Tamil Nadu model of providing low cost cement.
AINRC member Ashok Anand said the government should promote manufactured sand (M-sand) as an alternative to natural sand. In many parts of the country, M- sand was widely used and some of the government entities could take up construction and distribution of the substitute material.
Public Works Minister A. Namassivayam said the suggestion would be considered.