The Hindu Business Line : Steel prices to come down in rural areas

Major steel producers have decided to reduce the cost of steel by Rs 600-1,000 per tonne in rural areas by absorbing the cost of transportation and distributors' margins.

This follows an appeal by the Union Steel Minister, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, to keep the prices of steel at reasonable levels to safeguard the interests of the common man.

At a meeting held under the chairmanship of Mr R.S. Pandey, Secretary (Steel), on Friday, the steel majors decided to make available items of common consumption in the rural districts or blocks through their dealer network at the same price as applicable at metros, said a release issued by SAIL.

Cost of transportation as well as distributors' and wholesalers' margin will be borne by the producers. This would result in relief of about Rs 600-1,000 per tonne to the individual customer in hinterland.

All the main producers decided to adopt villages around their plant and as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR), help develop these villages as model steel villages.

In various schemes to promote health, education and livelihood, steel would be used in items such as storage beans, bullock carts, buildings such as school buildings, health centre buildings, water tanks, waiting sheds, it added.

More Stories on : Steel | Policy | Rural Development

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page