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STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Taking the advantage of COVID-19 lockdown, dealers have unilaterally hiked cement prices up to Rs 25 per bag even as no fresh supplies have arrived in the State.
After checking a number of cement outlets here to ascertain the exact hike in cement prices, The Sentinel found on Wednesday that prices of all brands of cement were hiked. While that of Dalmia Cement has gone up from Rs 410 to Rs 430 per bag; that of Ambuja has gone from Rs 415 to Rs 425, Duraguard from Rs 410to Rs 425, Star Cement from Rs 410 to Rs 430, Ultra-Tech from Rs 410 to Rs 420, Best Cement from Rs 410 to Rs 420, Lafarge from Rs 410 to Rs 420, Black Tiger from Rs 410 to Rs 420, Raksha from Rs 345 to Rs 360 per bag. The prices of other cement brands like Taj, Amrit, and Topchem among others have also gone up.
When asked as to why such a hike in prices has been effected, a few cement shop owners said that they have been informed of the hike by the dealers. One of the shop owners said, "The dealers are just taking advantage of the situation. The cement brands that we sell at the hiked prices are not new supplies. In fact, no new supply of cement has arrived in the State; not even the local brands of Assam and Meghalaya. They've simply hiked the prices of the old stock available with us. "If the branded national companies like Duraguard, Ambuja, and ACC among others hike their prices, the local cement companies may follow suit. Sometimes, the dealers may hike the prices, not the companies. The State government has to check it.
"However, there has been no hike in the prices of other construction materials like iron rod, bricks, sand, chips etc. Even as we've opened our shops today, the sale is yet to pick as construction works haven't been started. Even masons and labourers are scarce in Guwahati."