Steel industry experiencing boom, no shortage of fertilizers

Puducherry, Sep 20(UNI) The steel industry in the country is experiencing a boom and prices have been checked, union minister for steel,fertilizers and chemicals Ram Vilas Paswan said today.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the government will not allow steel prices to go up and in fact prices would again come down.

He said Rs 1500 crore was provided to Salem Steel Plant and the production which was 35 million tonnes rose to 53 million tonnes.

By 2020 it would cross 300 million tonnes. Now India stood fifth among steel manufacturing countries, he added.

Refuting the claim that there was fertilizer shortage in the country, he said no complaints from anywhere, including Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were received. For the last four years, the prices of fertilizers in the country were not been increased. Urea which was being purchased at the rate of Rs.26000 per tonne was being sold to farmers for Rs.4830, BAP purchased at the rate of Rs.56,000 per tonne was being provided to the farmers for Rs.9300.

The availability of fertilizers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry was in surplus, he said and added the governemnt would also examine the usage of bio-fertilizers. For the past 15 years, there was no new investment in the fertilizer sector, he added.

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