AP decides to take all steps to control cement prices

Hyderabad, Apr 24 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today convened a meeting of the Group of Ministers and decided to take all possible steps to bring down the prices of cement in the state.

The Chief Minister would write a letter to the Prime Minister and the ministers concerned to issue an ordinance to regulate the prices of cement.

The Chief Minister would also ask the Centre to invoke the MRTP Act against the cement manufacturers to control the prices. The government decided to issue showcause notices to all lease holders of limestone mines who had not even started civil work for the last two years.

It was also decided that state Finance Minister K Rosaiah would convene a meeting of cement manufacturers who were yet to complete their quota towards housing schemes.

The Chief Minister was informed that many of them had not yet completed their quota of contribution at the fixed rate and a few of them not even completed ten per cent.

The Chief Minister said the government was firm on bringing down the price of cement to a reasonable level so that the common man would not face hardships.

It was not the intention of the government to trouble the cement manufacturers, he said, adding, the government had not increased the power tariff for the last four years.

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