A complete ban on the supply and import of sand in Dimapur has been imposed by the Assam Sand Suppliers and Truck Owners Association Dimapur (ASSTOAD) on Wednesday.
The ban came into effect from Wednesday itself and ASSTOAD informed that it would also be restricting the illegal transportation of any sort.
ASSTOAD informed that the ban has been imposed in order to bring down the cost of sand that is imported.
Through the ban, the organisation also aims to remove the unjust imbalances in the cost of supply.
It may be mentioned here that since the COVID-19 lockdown, cost of sand supplied from Assam increased by over 300 per cent.
Speaking to the media ASSTOAD president Anito Shohe said that the association was not sure as to why at this juncture the cost increased so much.
“Due to illegal transportation of sand, a syndicate has been formed, making sand available at a lower price, forcing the legal suppliers to run their business in losses if they try to compete as the cost of procuring the sand from Assam is 70 per cent more than the rate at which it is being supplied,” Shohe added.
“Keeping the greater interests of the public in mind, we have decided to engage in dialogues with various stakeholders in Assam,” he added.