Manufacturers to bear cement testing cost

Ambika Sharma

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Solan, March 31

Cement manufacturers will bear the cost of testing at the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)-approved labs to ensure the supply of quality cement for government works.

Move aimed at ensuring quality

To ensure that the quality cement is supplied by manufacturers for various government works, each company will bear the cost of random testing through NABL-approved labs.

Lalit Jain, MD, civil supplies corporation

The Civil Supplies Corporation, which oversees its supply for government works, has introduced this system now. The cement is supplied at subsidised rates to the state government by Ambuja Cements Limited, Ultratech Cement, ACC and Duraton.

The supply of substandard cement not only affects the quality of works, but also reduces the life of a building. Since cement is supplied at subsidised rate to the government, the tendency of the product lacking apt quality can’t be ruled out.

Corporation Managing Director Lalit Jain said, “In a bid to ensure that quality cement is supplied by manufacturers for various government works, each company will bear the cost of random testing through NABL-approved labs. Since each test costs Rs 20,000, it has been decided that the cost would be borne by the firms.”

The testing fee was earlier borne by the corporation and the higher cost acted as a deterrent for adequate testing.

Testing will be undertaken on the receipt of complaints as cases of substandard cement also pour in. The corporation has 117 godowns and complaints of substandard cement are often received from Sirmaur district, said sources in the corporation.

Cement is supplied at a subsidised rate of Rs 195 per bag to the corporation and the cost is further enhanced to Rs 310 to Rs 330 after adding the cost of labour charges, GST as well as profit margin of the corporation. Freight charges are also added to the final cost though various truck unions transport cement at a lower cost.

Cement manufacturers, however, said complaints of the substandard cement supply are at times fake to allow the entry of other players and their product had the Bureau of Indian Standards certification.