SAIL to sign MoU with Rajasthan government for manganese ore

Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) is eyeing manganese ore from Rajasthan to meet the raw material requirement for its plants located across the country.

Speaking at the 54th joint meeting of production and productivity of the Maharatna steel maker held Saturday in Bhilai, SAIL Chairman C S Verma said that the company was in parleys with the government of Rajasthan to get manganese ore mines in the state. The talks were in final stage, he added.

“The SAIL will sign a Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) with the Rajasthan Government to ensure supply of Manganese Ore required for manufacture of Ferro Alloys in its various units,” Verma said.

For steady supply of iron ore, SAIL has plans to develop Rowghat in Chhattisgarh and Chiria Mines in Jharkhand, he said, adding that company is also part of ICVL, which has entered into an MOU with Indonesian government for developing coal mines.  

Verma drew the attention of the house to the world steel scenario, Indian steel scenario and SAIL’s plans. He informed the house that SAIL’s Hot Metal production would grow from current level of 14 Million Tonnes (MT) to 24 MT by 2013. He stressed on the need to increase the market share of SAIL from the current level of 18 per cent.

Verma said the company had planned to become power surplus through Joint Ventures (JVs).

This was the first time when the joint meeting of production and productivity was held outside the corporate office of the SAIL. The trade union representatives had suggested the SAIL management to organize the at a plant location. Besides the top management of SAIL, heads of respective plants and units of SAIL and prominent trade unions’ representatives attended the meeting.