SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 29: The Industries and Commerce Association (ICA) alleged the government policies for the downfall of the hard coke industry in the country during the 88th annual convention of hard coke industrialists on Wednesday afternoon at Shakti Mandir road-based ICA Hall.
ICA president BN Singh while addressing the convention said that due to the short supply of coal by subsidiaries of CIL, the hard coke industry is compelled to import it. As a result, products of the hard coke industry reach the market at a high price.
“Hard coke industry is a job provider manufacturing unit which was supplying quality hard coke to iron and steel industries of the country but wrong policy of CIL’s coal distribution has made it a sick unit,” charged BN Singh.
The ICA president said the hard coke industry has been turned into a loss-making sick unit for the last three years since Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) has begun E-auction of Coal. Hard Coke industrialists fail to cope up with coal traders in taking coal through E- Auction. “Now Hard Coke industry gets only 10% to 20% of coal from CIL subsidiary companies and that too finds inferior quality,” Singh said.
The Industries and Commerce Association blamed Congress and BJP led central government policy for the present condition of hard coke industries in the country. “Both the parties’ governments were informed from time to time about the problem of the hard coke industry which exports hard coke but no action was taken to bail it out,” said ICA official.
The ICA president at the 88th convention also expressed concern over deteriorated law and order of Dhanbad. “When judges in the district are not safe, what would common people as well as industrialists feel. Coal mafias have again become active making the lives of industrialists a mess,” he said.
Senior vice-president of ICA SK Sinha, junior vice-president Ratan Lal Agrawal, Indramohan Menon and Kedar Nath Mittal also addressed the convention.
