Coal price hike: Mohali brick kiln owners to stop production from October 1

Two months ago, coal price was around ₹11,000 per tonne, but now it is nearly ₹22,000 per tonne, said the president of brick kiln body

The members of the Mohali District Brick Kiln Owners’ Association on Monday announced that owing to coal price hike, they will stop production for two months from October 1 onwards.

Members of Mohali Brick Kiln Owner's Association during a press conference at Mohali Club in Phase 11 on Monday. (Keshav Singh/HT)

There are around 100 brick kilns in the district. While addressing mediapersons here on Monday, association president Kuldeep Singh Makkar said, “Around two months back, the coal price was around ₹11,000 per tonne, but now it is nearly ₹22,000 per tonne. We strongly demand that the state government should intervene and take up the matter of controlling hike in coal prices with the central government.”

Makkar further said that with the hike in coal prices, the rate of the bricks had gone up to ₹6,500 per thousand, from ₹5,500 per thousand in the last two months. “We are helpless now and have decided to stop the production for two months and in case the issue is not resolved, we will extend the protest.”

The members of the association demanded that the government should look into the matter to end the monopoly of big corporations, who were “manipulating coal prices”.