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Marble industry demands rollback of royalty hike

JAIPUR: The marble industry in Rajasthan has sought immediate withdrawal of the increase in the royalty on marble and other minor minerals. Coming as it does in the wake of the recent Central Government decision to issue licences for import of marble, the increased royalty rates would put the sector into jeopardy, it warned.

All Rajasthan Marble and Stone Association president Ashok Kumar Dhoot told journalists here that the industry representatives had already met Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje to acquaint her with the crisis in the marble sector in the wake of the State Government raising the royalty. As many as 10 lakh families dependent on marble sector would be adversely affected by the hike, he pointed out.

“The marble sector wants a rollback on the royalty rates along with standardisation of the rates in mining areas including Makrana,” Mr. Dhoot said. The stone sector also wants the VAT rates on marble slabs brought down from 12.5 per cent to 4 per cent.

Mr. Dhoot said the marble sector was opposed to the decision to issue import licences to 25 select players.

Rajasthan Mahila Congress president and MLA from Bundi, Mamta Sharma, also termed the increase in the royalty on marble and construction material “an anti-people act”. There was no reason for the hike, carried out without applying any logical parameters, she charged.

The hike in the cess would only lead to stagnation in the building construction and the road-building sector, she pointed out. It would also affect the livelihood of 50,000 truck operators, she said.

Comparing the increase in the rates, Ms. Sharma said the royalty on bajri, which was Rs.6 in 1986, was hiked to Rs.8 in 2004. “The present royalty is Rs.50, which is six times more than the previous royalty,” she pointed out.

In a similar manner the royalty on sand stone has been hiked from Rs.75 in 2004 to Rs.125 and on limestone from Rs.8 to Rs.50. “The royalty on minor minerals is the highest in Rajasthan,” Ms. Sharma argued.

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