Prices swell as economy bounces back

Industrialists cite higher cost of raw materials and freight charges for the upsurge in market prices.

Until two years ago, you could buy a 50 kg bag of ordinary Portland cement for Rs650 per bag of 50 kg. Today, it costs Rs700. The price of Portland Pozzolana cement too has risen from Rs550 to Rs650 per bag. Other building materials like iron rods have also become dearer, up from Rs75 to Rs95 per kg.