New Delhi, Feb 18 (UNI) Union Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh on Monday said the Government is hoping to double the capacity and take steel production to 300 million tonnes by 2031 under the National Steel Policy 2017.
The Steel Ministry is making all efforts to bridge the gap in steel consumption between rural and urban India and Steel Processing Unit (SPU) at Bettiah is a step towards this direction and will also fulfill local steel requirements, Mr Singh said while inaugurating the Bettiah steel plant in West Champaran, Bihar.
Mr Singh along with Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan dedicated SAIL’s SPU at Bettiah to the nation. High quality steel tubes and pipes will be produced by this unit.
Mr Singh said trial production from this unit has begun since January 2019 with technical expertise from Bokaro and Rourkela Steel Plant. This SPU will get raw material from Bokaro Steel Plant.
With an installed capacity of 50,000 tonnes per year, this unit will play an important role in the development of the predominantly agriculture intensive area which has a huge requirement for pipes.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Paswan said the setting up of this SPU in the region fulfills a dream of the local people and beginning of production from this unit will be a realization of that dream. He hoped that the unit will expand its capacity in coming years and will generate more employment for local people. He added that setting up of such industry not only leads to development of the region but also leads to employment generation.
SAIL Chairman Anil Kumar Chaudhary said it is a matter of pride that SAIL is observing the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, in its 60th year, at the place of Gandhi ji’s first satyagraha at Champaran in Bettiah.
He informed that the unit is ready for commercial production and will help in meeting the steel tubes and pipes requirement in Bettiah and Champaran including nearby areas of east Uttar Pradesh. The steel tubes produced from this Unit can be used for construction works while the steel pipes can be used for water transportation and sewerage.
Both the government and the National Steel Policy 2017 are emphasizing on increasing the steel consumption in rural India. SAIL is also working to increase the share of its value added steel production. Towards this, SAIL has set up SPU in semi-urban and rural areas where it does not have integrated steel plants. This SPU is an important unit in that series.
The trial production from the larger tube mill has already begun and the production from the smaller tube will soon began soon.
On this occasion, Sushil Modi, Deputy Chief Minister, Bihar, Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, MP from west Champaran, RS Pande, MLA from Bagha Vidhan Sabha Constituency and Prakash Rai, MLA from ChanpatiyaVidhan Sabha Constituency and senior officials of Ministry of Steel, steel dealers and consumers and a large number of local citizens were present during this occasion.
UNI SW SHK1815