Lockdown induced factors burden contractors
Karwar, June 27, 2021: While the government has allowed construction work even during the lockdown, the civil contractors are hit by various types of challenges due to the pandemic.
The situation has gone bad to worse as Covid continues to trouble them this year too.
“Most of our laborers come from North Karnataka districts and states like Bihar, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh. They have returned to their village due to Covid and lockdown. We are facing a shortage of laborers. Those who are available demand twice the amount than which we allocate,” Karwar Taluk Registered Contractors Association president Madhav Nayak told The Canara Post.
A few months ago when the number of cases decreased and when the work could have resumed, the by-election in the state and election in other states were declared.
The shortage of laborers has hit the availability of raw materials for construction materials too as they laborers from other state work at the crushers.
Madhav Nayak says that the price of steel and cement has increased drastically after the Covid crisis.
“Cement which was below ₹ 300 is now ₹ 400. Steel which cost ₹48- ₹55 is now about ₹ 78. Due to this, there is a difference between the cost that we quote and we incur while undertaking the work. The contractors are suffering,” he said.
He also added that as the government is concentrating on the pandemic, not much funds are allocated for construction works, except emergency works.
“Covid has hit us hard. We hope the problem will end soon,” he added.
