Cong corners Himachal govt on rising cement prices

The Opposition Congress yesterday grilled the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Himachal Pradesh for failing to check the frequent rise in cement prices in the state.

The Opposition led by the Congress president Kaul Singh Thakur said in the state Assembly, the state government was not exercising its powers to check the frequent rise in cement prices in the state, which were higher in Himachal Pradesh compared to Punjab and Haryana.

State Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Ramesh Dhawala accepted the higher cement prices but said the government had no power to check these prices since cement is a deregulated item.