TAXILA, March 18: Cement prices in Taxila and Wah have soared to a new high during the current month despite sufficient supply of the commodity in the market. After facing the ongoing flour and sugar crisis, a common man has been further burdened with the rising cost of cement.

A large number of people associated with the construction industry told this correspondent that in some localities, specially in the rural areas, a 50kg bag of cement was being sold for Rs300, showing 20 per cent increase in the rate of the commodity.

When asked about the reason behind the sudden increase in cement prices, a local dealer and stockist said they were receiving supplies at inflated prices from the manufacturers.

He, however, denied that the commodity was in short supply.

The consumers said earlier the Monopoly Control Authority did not control the unjustified increase in price of sugar and now it had failed to check cement rates.

A source in the local cement industry at Hattar Industrial Estate told this correspondent that the cement manufacturers had been earning huge profits during the last one year after they started using natural gas and coal instead of the costly imported furnace oil. Besides reduction in debt servicing by swapping high cost borrowing with low cost loans from domestic banks and a relief of Rs1,000 per metric ton in excise duty, brought the production cost of a cement bag down to Rs85.

BODY FOUND: A body of a man was found from an abandoned place near Sakhoo Maseen village in the jurisdiction of Wah Cantonment police station.