As
per information received under the RTI Act 2005, 31 Steel Rolling Mills
and Induction Furnaces of Mandi Gobindgarh and Khanna, have closed down
their units and have got their power connections disconnected during
last six months.
It
is pertinent to mention here, that presently 90 more such mills and
furnaces have shut down their operations but haven’t got their power
connections disconnected as yet. These mills are very likely to also
completely shut down as it is not viable to pay the minimum electricity
charges being levied upon them by Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd.
(PSPCL). It is unfair to impose the said minimum power charges on the
industry as the govt. is not providing them sufficient power to run
their industry and there are long and severe unannounced power cuts.
In
case the SAD-BJP govt. continues with its anti-industry attitude and
turns a blind eye to their demands, it is estimated that all the 330
units of Steel Rolling Mills and Induction Furnaces are contemplating
closure of their industry and declaring bankruptcy. The association of
small and medium scale industry has been running from pillar to post to
convince the govt. on their valid demands but to no avail. They are
demanding withdrawal of e-filling, reduction in the per kilowatt minimum
charges of electricity, rationalizing VAT and Entry Tax on the pattern
of neighboring states.
The
association claims that under the present taxation policy and minimum
power charges, it is highly impossible for them to compete with
producers of other states, forcing them to close down their units. The
present frustrating and dismal scenario of the Iron and Steel Industry
of the state, raises a big question mark over the just released new
industrial policy. It only goes to show that the govt. had scant
knowledge and concern for the steel industry, while forming the new
industrial policy.
Therefore,
Congress advises the Junior Badal who is habitual of making tall claims
of mega development, to focus and prevent the closure and collapse of
our small and medium scale steel industry of these towns. Closure of
industry on such large scales is bound to have serious financial
ramifications on the state, besides rendering thousands of families
jobless. Congress urges the govt. to revise and reform its industrial
policy in view of the difficulties and demands of the steel industry as
the recently announced industrial policy is nothing but a failure, non
starter, ineffective and meaningless.
In
the same breath, Congress also severely condemns the govt., for
charging hefty sums in electricity bills under the garb of Advance
Consumption Deposit Scheme (ACDS). The govt. has no right to fleece the
consumers with advance payments, when it cannot provide 24 hours supply
to the consumers. The said Advance Deposit Scheme of the Punjab State
Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) must be scrapped forthwith.
