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Naveen Jindal seeks Odisha government’s intervention on raw material issue
Bhubaneswar, July 27 (IANS) Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) Chairman Naveen Jindal on Friday requested the Odisha government to intervene in the issue of increasing iron ore price and freight rate in the state.
“While iron ore price in international marketing is decreasing, the same in Odisha is increasing. Also the transporters are increasing the freight rate time to time. This adds to the challenges faced by the steel industries in the state,” Jindal told media persons after meeting Chief Secretary A.P. Padhi here.
He also said that there is scarcity of coal for steel industries.
“The premium for coal in e-auction by Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) goes up to 100 per cent. In Odisha, we are buying world’s costliest coal through e-auction. MCL and Coal India should increase production and then only the steel industry can run efficiently,” said Jindal.
He said the consistent increase of input price for the steel industry is resulting in hiked cost of production.
The steel industries are facing difficulties as the raw material prices are increasing, whereas the price of finished steel products is going down, he added.
During, April to July 2018, steel prices have reduced from Rs 41,000 to Rs 39,000 per tonne, whereas prices of iron ore lumps have surged up by 10.58 per cent from Rs 4,725 to Rs 5,225 per tonne and fines by 17 per cent from Rs 2,050 to Rs 2,400 per tonne.
Jindal requested the state government to take immediate steps to increase iron ore availability for the industries in competitive price and implement the notification regarding freight rate for mineral transport in the state.
He also noted that a number of steel industries are under National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
“Barring three steel industry players, like JSW, Tata Steel and JSPL, all other steel industry companies have been referred to NCLT. It’s very unfortunate. Therefore the government should intervene to rationalize the input prices and the transportation rates in the interest of overall economy of the state,” he added.
JSPL has invested Rs 35,000 crore in the steel sector in the state, which includes India’s largest pelletisation complex of 9 MTPA capacity at Barbil in Keonjhar district and Odisha’s largest steel plant of 6 MTPA capacity in Angul district.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.