Punjab Congress maintained that if the SAD-BJP Government continued with its “anti-industry attitude”, nothing less than 330 units of Steel Rolling Mills and Induction Furnaces were contemplating closure of their industry and declaring bankruptcy.
As per information received under the RTI Act, 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. Besides, 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 completely shut down as well as it is not viable for them to pay the minimum electricity charges being levied upon them by Punjab State Power Corporation limited (PSPCl). It is unfair to impose hefty minimum power charges on the industry as the Government is not providing them sufficient power to run their industry and there are long and severe unannounced power cuts,” said Punjab Congress spokesperson Sukhpal Khaira.
He added, the present frustrating and dismal scenario of the State’s iron and steel industry raised a big question mark over the just released new industrial policy. Urging the Government to revise and reform its industrial policy in view of the difficulties and demands of the steel industry, Congress severely condemned the State Government for charging hefty sums in electricity bills under the garb of Advance Consumption Deposit Scheme (ACDS).