The Kerala Printers Association is gearing up to launch a series of agitations raising a slew of demands including checking the rising prices of materials relating to the printing industry .
Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday V.P. Ratnaraj, president of the organisation, said that more than 10,000 printing presses had functioned in the State in the year 2000 and nearly 6,000 presses were closed down in two decades owing to the exorbitant prices of printing materials.
The rising price of newsprint and ink printing; demonetisation in 2016; implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2017; floods in 2018 and the impact of the pandemic were the major reasons behind the closure of the printing presses, especially small and medium-scale presses, Mr. Ratnaraj said.
The price of a rim of newsprint in January was ₹480 but it increased to ₹850 a rim in May, he said. The price of a packet of A4 sheet paper increased from ₹160 to ₹260 during the period. The prices of black ink and blue ink were increased from ₹320 to ₹480 and ₹510 to ₹680 a kg respectively. The price of coloured inks and other chemicals being used in the industry also increased proportionately.
While the industry was overcoming gradually the impact of the pandemic, the price of the printing materials increased considerably, he said.
The organisation would take out marches to collectorates and Central government offices in the State on May 19 and stage dharnas in protest against the alleged apathy of governments, he said.
