Punjab to approach Centre on steel prices

Taking serious note of the recent extraordinary rise in steel prices, Punjab Industry Minister Manoranjan Kalia yesterday said he would soon meet Union Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan to demand remedial steps to curb the price rise, which has affected development projects all over the country.

"I have already written a letter to Paswan on the issue and have suggested putting immediate ban on export of iron ore and abolition of import duty on steel scrap apart from reducing the excise duty on steel", Kalia told reporters here.

Alleging that the Centre indulges in discrimination against Punjab, Kalia says Punjab is always ignored while giving aid for industry or agriculture.

"Although Punjab contributes to a major share in the central pool of food grains, there is no special package for the state farmers who are committing suicide due to heavy debts,", he said, adding that if special financial packages could be announced for the states of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, why can't such a package be extended to Punjab as well?

Even for industry, neighbouring states of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh were given special industrial packages, which virtually ruined the industry of Punjab, but in spite of the fact that Punjab's industry deserves special financial concessions, the state was deliberately neglected, Kalia said.

To rake up above issues strongly, a joint rally of SAD-JP would be organised in New Delhi on February 26, in which more than one lakh workers would participate, he added.