The Self Employed Labour of Sand and Stone Supplier cum Marketing Association has urged the State Government to notify areas where sand and stone quarrying can be conducted legally.

Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club today, the president of the association, Ningthoujam Momon said that due to the recent ban imposed upon illegal sand and stone quarrying in the rivers of the State, thousands of workers and sand miners are struggling to earn their livelihood.

Highlighting that one third of the population of the State are workers whether they may be working in stone crushers or transport sector or other sectors, Momon said that all of the works have been snatched away after sand and stone quarrying works were banned.

He then questioned how new houses will be constructed and how development will take place in the State as all the quarries have been banned and further asked if the materials will have to be imported from Myanmar or Assam.

This will only triple the costs of the raw materials and affect the economy of the State, he added.

Demanding the Government to notify legal sites or areas for sand and stone quarrying, Momon said that banning such works will not only affect the workers but will also affect other people like builders, transporters and many more.

Appealing to all the CSOs and worker unions to unite and fight for their livelihood, Momon warned that if the Government fails to provide the workers with a source of income, they are prepared to launch intense agitation.