by Bhupen Goswami
by Bhupen Goswami
Guwahati :Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary held a meeting with the leading cement and steel manufacturers of the State at Janata Bhawan today. The meeting discussed in detail all the issues and challenges faced by the cement and steel industries and arrived at solutions and strategies to mitigate those issues. Cement companies like Topcem Cement, Star Cement, Dalmia Cement elaborated issues like severe shortage of coal, price escalation of fuel, logistics, input freight etc. Likewise, representatives of the steel industry raised issues like fuel price hike and international phenomenon related to import of necessary materials for the sector. Industry Minister Patowary said, ‘The raw materials for cement industry are available in the State. The companies have also availed Government support like tax exemption, transport subsidies etc. Hence these companies must pass on the benefits to the people of the State and refrain from unnecessary and artificial price hike.’ The Minister further told that cement price in Assam should not be unreasonably higher than neighboring states like Meghalaya and West Bengal. Minister Patowary warned the companies to avoid overloading to increase profitability.
He asked the Transport Department to strictly enforce the motor vehicle laws in case of the overloaded cement carrying trucks. He added that the Transport officials will regularly check the transport network of cement factories, cement storages and godowns etc.
‘The companies must share the details of cement storages and godowns with the concerned authority’, said Patowary. The Minister, while discussing with representatives of steel companies like KD Iron & Steel, Ma Durga Steel etc., stated that the Department is keeping a close watch on the price hike of steel products. ‘Price of steel is dependent of market dynamics, but must be well-regulated, generous, keeping in mind the larger interest of the people of the State’, added Patowary. Dr. KK Dwivedi, Principal Secretary; Manavendra Pratap Singh, Secretary; Oinam Sarankumar Singh, Commissioner of Industries and Commerce; Adil Khan, Commissioner of Transport were also present in the meeting.
