Sheikh Nadeem
The brick kiln owners in Anantnag have willfully increased brick rates rapidly while the authorities concerned are acting as mute spectators. According to the locals, one tipper load of bricks costs more than 26, 000 per 3, 000 bricks, or one tipper load.
Locals told The Kashmiriyat that the price was fixed by the government but the brick kiln owners are selling the bricks at their will and thus looting the people. “The brick kiln owners have been selling bricks at exorbitant rates”, they retorted.
Meanwhile, the brick kiln owners told that they have suffered huge losses from the last two years and due to COVID-19, they couldn’t make their brick kilns operational but had to pay the laborers their dues for no work. They said that they operate their kilns on rented space and have to pay them in any situation.
Locals have appealed to DC Anantnag K.K. Sidha to look into the matter and fix the rates as per government order and take strict action those brick kiln owners who take advantage and loot customers.