PM inaugurates SAIL's steel processing plant in Himachal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated a steel processing unit of SAIL in Kandrori near Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh where high-end special steel TMT bars will be produced, the state-owned company said.
In a statement released here, Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) said its steel processing unit (SPU) will produce TMT bars. It will also be able to produce earthquake-resistant and other grades of TMT (thermo-mechanically treated) bars.
SAIL is aware of the specific requirements of this hilly area and has a marketing plan to match the demand. The TMT bars would be of world class quality and will cater to the demand, both local as well as from adjoining regions, it said.

"SAIL had decided to set up SPUs in various states where integrated steel plants were not there...to increase steel consumption, especially in semi-urban and rural areas," the state-owned company said.
The SPU has been set up at an investment of around Rs 70 crore and will promote steel usage in northern states.
"The unit envisaged installation of TMT Bar Mill of capacity 1 lakh tonne per year to produce TMT bars in following sizes and specifications Size (diametre) of 8, 10, 12, 16, 20 and 25 mm and in FE-500 grade as per IS 1786:2008," the PSU said.

The input billets for producing the TMT will be sourced internally from SAIL. The hot trials at the TMT Bar Mill commenced in June this year and around 1,200 tonnes have already been rolled under the commissioning test period.

Minister of Steel Chaudhary Birender Singh, Minister of State for Steel Vishnu Deo Sai along with Governor of Himachal Pradesh Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh were present at the occasion.
Besides, Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor Saraswati Prasad, SAIL Chairman P K Singh Member of Parliament Shanta Kumar and MLA Manohar Dhiman also attended function.