The coordination committee of Udupi District Building and Other Construction Workers began an indefinite Dharna demanding adequate supply of laterite stone for the construction of buildings in the district in front of Rajatadri, the district office complex, in Manipal on Monday.

Centre of Indian Trade Unions State vice-president Balakrishna Shetty, addressing the protesters, said the shortage of laterite stone has severely affected poor families who intend to construct new houses and construction workers alike in the district.

He said the common man depends on laterite stones to build houses as he cannot afford to raise concrete pillars. Shortage of laterite stones in the district has, however, destroyed the dreams of hundreds of people to own a house, he regretted.

This has had a cascading effect on the construction industry, where thousands of construction workers are rendered jobless, Mr. Shetty said. As quality laterite stones are in short supply in the district, the administration should allow their transportation from the neighbouring Dakshina Kannada district. Shortage of sand, too, has added to the woes of the common man and workers, he added.

CITU district general secretary Suresh Kallagar said that though the district administration identifies 147 quarrying sites, quality laterite stones are not available in those locations. This, he said, has reduced supply and increased demand, allowing traders to collect exorbitant prices from poor buyers. He urged the government to grant permits in areas where quality laterite stone is available and reduce royalty charges, as is done in Kerala.

The protesters demanded that quarry licences be issued for safe sites and that the royalty be fixed at ₹76 per tonne instead of the present multiple levies. They also sought annual renewal of licences instead of the present six-month system, stating that this would curb illegal trade. CITU leaders H. Narasimha, Chandrashekar V., Rama Karkada, Shashidhar Golla and others participated in the protest.