Amid rising raw material prices, the Builders Association of India (BAI) has urged the central government for some respite and demanded industry status for the sector. The association has also raised the issue of lack of skilled manpower and the need for a regulatory authority.
The BAI has also urged the government for a 'unified standard contract document' to be adopted by all work authorities throughout the country including local bodies, state governments and corporations to weed out the benchmark variations.
This should be irrespective of the amount and time-duration of the contract and ensure the reimbursement of increased construction material cost with inclusion of star rate/basic rate policy, it has stated. The new 'standard contract document' should also ensure a dispute resolution mechanism with proper arbitration clauses included along with a time-bound decision on disputes raised out of a contract, the BAI has demanded.
The association is also looking at the 'status of industry' for the construction sector by considering its size and contribution to the country's GDP.