The Hindu Business Line : Joint study to assess steel demand in rural areas

Kolkata, Jan 18 The Union Ministry of Steel and the Institute for Steel Development & Growth (INSDAG) will jointly commission a study to assess the demand for steel in the rural areas up to the year 2020. The study will be conducted by a “reputed third-party agency”, according to Mr P.K. Bishnoi, President of INSDAG and Chairman and Managing Director of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL).

Speaking to newspersons after a meeting of the INSDAG Executive Council here, Mr Bishnoi said a committee, comprising representatives of the major steel producers, would decide on the parameters that would be taken into account while collating data on the consumption of steel in the rural areas at present and the likely demand for the product till 2020.The entire exercise will be overseen by the Joint Plant Committee.

Campaign

Mr Bishnoi said a Rs 20-crore campaign had been launched to promote the usage of steel in the rural and urban areas. The first phase of the ‘Steel for Life’ campaign was almost over and a review of the same would be made in March before a decision on the next phase of the campaign is taken.

Both INSDAG and RINL have taken up the onus of promoting increased use of steel in rural India. These include the introduction of steel bullock carts in villages and facilitating increased usage of steel in rural housing and rural construction.

Model village

On its part, RINL has chosen six villages around the steel plant at Vigaz where “model steel villages” would be built and showcased. Each village would have houses, a school building, health centre, bus stop and a community hall.

The first prototype of the steel village was almost ready. These model steel villages would be showcased before government officials and the general public to “remove myths about steel buildings”, Mr Bishnoi said.

According to him, these steel buildings have been subjected to computer simulation and are stated to withstand wind speeds of up to 120 kmph. They are economical and have largest life cycles compared with brick and mortar structures, he said.

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