Staging a protest outside the deputy commissioner’s office, the Ludhiana Tipper Association on Monday accused the police and administration of pressuring them to sell land for ₹5 per cubic foot.
They claimed that earlier they were paid ₹32 per cubic foot but the prices had been slashed. “Selling sand at the rate fixed by the government is impossible and allowance should be made for vehicle maintenance expenses, diesel charges and other miscellaneous expenses,” he said.
Leading the protest Mohd Ilyas said, “The Punjab government had recently fixed the rate of sand at ₹5.5 per cubic foot at the sand pit. However, transportation charges are additional. However, authorities and locals demand that sand should be given to them at the rate announced by the government. It is impossible for us to deliver sand at such a price.” .
He added that those associated with the tipper-truck business were incurring losses and if the situation did not improve,they will have to close down their businesses.