indore soaring cement price has posed a huge burden on housing projects raising concern over delay in new projects and slowing down pace of existing ones the sudden hike in prices that accounts for about 10 per cent in total cost of construction is seen hitting the ongoing work of affordable housing segment and infrastructure projects relators say market scenario does not permit to pass on the price hike as consumer demand is not bullish according to confederation of real estate developers associations of india credai indore chapter this spike is an artificial shortage created to earn hefty margins by cartels operating the cement market credai indore chairman liladhar maheshwari said this is an artificial shortage created in the market government should intervene and come up with remedial solution to help achieve target of affordable housing projects price of cement has touched rs 325 rs 330 per bag 1 bag weighs 50 kg each as against rs 260 per bag couple of months ago according to dealers according to credai shortage of cement and hike in prices may lead to delay in start of new projects while the pace of existing ones may derailcredai indore spokesperson atul jhawar said this has come as a huge burden there is no option but to purchase at the market price but definitely purchases will slow down as relators will wait for a dip in prices in monsoon to make bulk purchases builders said projects that are nearing completion will not be much impacted but projects half done or just started will be majorly affected as requirement of cement will be much high in such projects almost all new projects may get stalled with such a sharp hike in cement prices they said burden of the price hike will be borne by builders as the market is not upbeat to absorb the price hike if passed on to the customers said credai maheshwari said at present market scenario does not allow to pass on the hike to customers as demand is not that great customers may held back purchases on increased pricescredai indore chapter has demanded that government should allow import of cement to keep a lid on the rising prices locally