Fastener industry sore over PSPCL ‘anti-industry’ policy

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 27

The Fastener Manufacturers’ Association of India (FMAI) has expressed shock over refusal of the PSPCL to exempt use of billet heaters/surface hardening machines for forging.

Fastener manufacturers said the PSPCL was ‘anti-industry’ as it was adamant to keep use of billet heaters in power intensive unit category.

If this was the situation, most of the fastener units will again go back to the use of furnace oils, leading to increase in pollution level. For this, the industry should not be held responsible, said fastener manufacturers.

The president of FMAI, Narinder Bhamra, expressed displeasure over the way the PSPCL was taking up the issue.

“The PSPCL has provided separate hot lines to the big units. These are running day and night and can afford to pay heavy bills. But not all fastener units are big. There are approximately 2,500 small units in Ludhiana, which are running billet heaters to save the environment. Still we are kept under power intensive category. When uninterrupted power supply is not given to us and we are sent with hefty power bills, it is better to switch over to furnace oil, which emits a lot of smoke. But then the government should not blame us for degrading the environment,” said Bhamra.

The fastener manufacturers said they had presented the case before the PSPCL that use of billet heaters was eco-friendly and it eradicates air pollution, but to no avail as they were still kept in power intensive unit (PIU) category.

Bhamra and general secretary of the association, Kuldeep Singh, said FMAI had decided to file a writ petition in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and move High Court to seek justice and save environment.

Secondly, the industrialists said though the Central Ground Water Authority had extended the date to obtain consents for all type of industries till September 30, the guidelines and rules framed were very stringent and a majority of MSEs couldn’t comply with the formalities.

Though a number of units applied for consents by paying huge fees to consultants, almost all cases were rejected on one ground or the other. Bhamra said the FMAI should be exempted from getting NOC from the CGWA.

The association members said speculations were rife that after the elections, the power rates would be hiked by 15 per cent with retrospective effect from April 1. If it is done, the FMAI would hold rallies, resort to hunger strikes and dharnas with like-minded associations and ensure that no power hike takes place, they added.