Shimla:The government has not prepared a relief and rehabilitation package for those likely to be uprooted by establishing the Gumma cement plant in Chopal, even as the company is being asked to speed up setting of the unit, industry minister Kishan Kapoor stated.
During question hour, the minister in reply to a question by Vipin Parmar (BJP) said that a memorandum of understanding with Chennai based India Cements for setting up the Gumma plant was signed on May, 2006.
However the company has not been able to keep pace with its targets. A review meeting chaired by chief secretary Asha Swaroop was held recently and the promoter company has been asked to speed up construction of the new cement plant, he said.
Responding to a supplementary question by Subhash Manglate (congress), Kapoor said that a relief and rehabilitation package was provided for in the MoU but would only come into effect after the families likely to be uprooted identified.
The minister let Gangu Ram Musafir (congress) know that a clinker unit is to be set up in Gumma and grinding unit at Poanta Sahib.
In response to another question by Sukhwinder Singh Sukku (congress) the industry minister said that there were 15 cement plants in Himachal, of which ACC was operating two large units, Ambuja cements one large unit and Shiriyut cement was operating another large unit at Rajbhan in Sirmaur.
Of the 11 mini cement plants, two were presently not operating. Total revenues from all the 15 units in 2008-09, which included royalty on raw material, electricity duty, central sales tax, VAT and others was about Rs 215 crore, the minister said.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
