By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister for Steel Dharmendra Pradhan in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Monday said that Government has taken several steps to facilitate the reduction of Steel imports.
Minister Pradhan said Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) for advance registration of steel imports are in place. The objective is to help the Government and industry to identify the exact steel grades being imported into the country in order to plan domestic manufacturing, besides advance information about any surge in imports, Minister Pradhan said.
Issuance of Steel Quality Control Orders (SQCO) to stop non-standardised steel import and manufacturing and to ensure availability of quality Steel in the country, also taken, he said.
Draft Framework Policy to promote setting up of steel clusters with focus on manufacturing units for value added steel, ancillaries, capital goods are also taken, Pradhan said.
The Minister Pradhan has also informed about the Government lays down the policy guidelines and establishes the institutional mechanism/structure for creating conducive environment for improving efficiency and performance of the steel sector. Odisha has used its 64% capacity for Steel production.
