Manufacturers are pointing to the Russia-Ukraine war as the reason for the sharp rise in prices for construction materials in recent days. They are claiming that apart from the prices of iron, steel bars and cement, prices of bricks and rock dust, made from the soil in Kerala, are also skyrocketing due to the war fought in a different continent. These are the months when construction work in the state has to go smoothly. The last two seasons were marred by the Covid pandemic. With the state witnessing a decline in Covid cases, construction works were getting back in full swing. However, it received a huge blow when the prices of construction materials started skyrocketing.

'Kerala Kaumudi' had recently published a report about the sharp change in the prices of some of the construction materials. Prices of various materials such as steel bars, cement, sand, metal and brick increased considerably when compared to the prices in January. Proportionately, there was a significant increase in the wages of the workers. This unprecedented rise in prices has created a crisis for all those who are planning to construct anything.

At the beginning of the construction season, the prices of construction materials go up in a planned manner. The fact that there is no significant government intervention is a great boon to those involved in their production and distribution. On comparing the prices in January and March, the price of steel bars has risen by Rs 22 per kg, price of cement has risen by Rs 70. As a result, the prices of other items have gone up.

The government should immediately intervene to curb the rising cost of construction materials. It should convene a meeting of concerned persons and assess matters. If there are adverse factors, action should be taken to address them. The impact will be huge if the manufacturing sector, which employs millions of people, slows down due to inflation. Such a situation would also hamper the economic growth of the state. Government housing projects such as the LIFE project will also be adversely affected by the rising prices of construction materials. We must remember that at one point in the past, when there was a huge hike in the prices of construction materials like this, fair price shops called 'Kalavara' were set up in all districts to help the common people. Later, these fair price shops stopped working. Restarting ventures like this will bring relief to at least some people. The government must intervene when the prices of materials in the construction sector increase. It should not forget the fact that the construction sector is the backbone of the economic growth of the state.