Despite royalty cut, laterite stone prices stay high in coast

Mangaluru: MLC Dr. Manjunath Bhandary has formally petitioned Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner H.V. Darshan, seeking urgent action to bring down the retail cost of laterite building stones, which remain expensive despite the State Government significantly lowering the royalty on laterite mining.

The royalty was reduced to ₹920 per 10 tonnes following discussions involving ministers, contractors and quarry operators. However, quarry units reportedly continue to charge ₹50–₹55 per block, resulting in ₹18,000–₹20,000 per 10 tonnes, which builders say increases the cost of constructing a small 1,200 sq ft house by nearly ₹3 lakh.

Dr. Bhandary has asked the district administration to convene a joint meeting and establish a clear pricing framework to ensure relief to middle-income households and the construction sector.