Reconstruction work in the earthquake-affected areas in Kavre has been affected due to a sudden hike in prices of sand and crushed stones.

Local crusher industry operators, who had taken the contract of extracting sand and stones from the District Development Committee at Rs 3 per cubic feet, are charging people up to Rs 62 per cubic feet of sand and stones. A tipper load of sand costs around Rs 26,000 by the time it reaches the construction site, anywhere inside the district, from Sipaghat; for the same volume of crushed stones the price will come around at Rs 21,000.

The quake survivors accused the crusher operators of price-fixing and profiteering. 

Chief District Officer Shiva Simkhada said his office cannot do anything about the situation unless a formal complaint is lodged.

The crusher industry operators said that they had to increase the prices of sand and stones “as the industry was closed for six months because of the government regulations”.

“There is also a scarcity of construction materials, which has affected the pricing,” claimed Dawa Dorje Lama, of Kavre Crusher Operators’ Association.