8 hours ago
Granite polishing units in Prakasam fear closure
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Vijayawada: Thousands of daily workers in Chimakurthy, a granite town in Prakasam district, are struggling to find work as small and medium-sized granite polishing units face the threat of closure due to the entry of big companies into the polishing segment.
These small and medium units, numbering around 200, have been handling a substantial volume of business for the past three to four decades, procuring stocks from granite quarries and selling the polished granite to exporters.
The polishing units have been responsible for cutting, polishing, and managing equipment and manpower costs, while quarry owners have made direct profits from exporters. This system allowed exporters to enjoy profit margins without investing in labor and machinery.
The middle-segment polishing units have been creating massive employment opportunities for both locals and migrant workers, with approximately two lakh people working in various polishing and cutting units in and around Chimakurthy.
Each small polishing unit used to handle around 20,000 cubic meters of stock and purchase about 200 containers of stock from quarry managements, supplying the polished granite to big exporters.
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However, the entry of big corporate firms into the polishing segment has altered the industry's dynamics. Each big firm is handling around 1 to 1.5 lakh cubic meters of stock, equivalent to the stock processed by nearly 15-20 small firms.
According to sources, around 20 big companies have started operations in Prakasam district, each with the capacity to process about 1.5 lakh cubic meters of stone. This means that just 20 firms are processing a volume equivalent to that of 200 small companies.
The big firms have the capacity to handle even more stock in the future due to their advanced machinery, which requires significantly less manpower. Each big unit is reportedly procuring over 150-200 containers of granite per month, equivalent to the entire stock procured by all the small units combined.
The granite quarry owners are also supporting the big firms, reportedly making advance payments of Rs 2-4 crore per month. The small polishing unit owners are struggling to survive, and one owner, Raghunatha Reddy, stated that the entry of big firms with advanced machinery and their influence over quarry managements has crippled the industry.
The small units cannot survive unless govt intervenes and provides them with some stock.
