Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh said the steel industry registered an increase of around six per cent in production during the last six months, despite the economic downturn. The industry also witnessed an increase of seven per cent in the total demand, he said.

Singh, who was in Solan to preside over a function organised by the National Students Union of India (NSUI), said the Centre was planning to enhance the steel production up to 124 lakh metric tonnes (MT) from the present 54 lakh MT by the end of 2013. To achieve the target and strengthen the industry across the country, he said, around Rs 72,000 crore was being spent.

“Since steel is a ‘decontrolled’ item, the government is making all-out efforts to control its prices in the interest of the common man,” the minister told the media, adding that steel prices had been stable for the last few months.

Virbhadra lashed out at the “lackadaisical attitude” of some of the states towards implementing the National Employment Rural Guarantee Act, National Rural Health Mission and other schemes, and said the Himachal government, too, had failed to execute these welfare sachems despite allocation of funds.

Terming the less production of food grains as one of the contributing factors for the soaring prices of essential commodities, he said an ineffective implementation of the Hoarding and Profiteering Act by state governments has also caused the price hike.

Replying to a question about the shortage of high-quality limestone in steel industry, Singh said the National Mining Development Corporation (NMDC) and the Steel Authority of India had recently entered into an agreement to supply this to the steel industry. The NMDC is setting up a multi-crore plant at Arki in Solan district.

... contd.