Last Updated on March 17, 2022 at 10:55 am
Various brick-kiln owners of Jammu and Kashmir are having a fear of their units to get closed as import of bricks from neighboring state Punjab and other states such as Rajasthan and Haryana have increased to a large scale.
Even few days earlier, a protest was staged by the brick kiln owners and demanded a complete ban on import of bricks.
President of Jammu brick-klin association Vibishen Singh said that bricks from Punjab, Rajasthan and Harayana have come in huge quantity in the markets of J&K and ‘brick mafia’ and is trying to control it in the Union Territory. Singh said that they were assured by the Divisional Commissioner Jammu that the issue will be taken into consideration and matter will be solved as they gave him a written representation that their industry is at the threat of the closure.
Singh said that as per Brick Klin Act, brick business can be carried out only by the people who are license holders and no one can join this industry without license. But the bricks which are arriving in J&K from other states are being sold by the people who are not license holders.
He further said that since past two years there has been rise in the losses due to ‘brick mafia’ which have entered J&K. Singh further informed that bricks manufactured in other states which have arrived in J&K weigh less than bricks manufactured here.
He further said that nearly 5 crores are spent to start a brick-kiln in J&K and a license is required and added that now people are just transfering Rs 1 lakh to Punjab and get the bricks from there and sell it on the roads which is a big threat to their industry.
