(a) whether it is a fact that 18 out of 24 steel bar brands have failed quality test by BIS norms;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has considered giving steel the status of an infrastructure product to boost financing; and
(d) the steps taken by Government to reduce the dependence on import of iron ore and coking coke?
THE MINISTER OF STEEL (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)
(a)&(b): In October, 2018, BIS had come across a report published by an organization known as First Construction Council (FCC), informing that 18 out of 26 TMT bar brands in the country failed in quality parameters during testing of samples. In order to examine the claims of FCC, BIS approached FCC to give consent for re-testing the remnants of the sample. However, FCC had declined to give consent.
(c)&(d): While the production of iron ore in the country meets the demand of domestic steel industry, the availability of high-quality coking coal (low-ash coal) in the country is limited. With a view to further enhance the availability of iron ore in the domestic market, Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) has been allowed to make available in the open market 25 percent of its total iron ore production in the previous year. Further, SAIL has also been allowed to dispose off the old stock of 70 Million Tonnes of low grade iron fines and ores (including slime) lying dumped across different captive mines of SAIL. In order to secure coking coal supplies for the Indian steel industries, the Government has taken the following steps:-
• Setting up of new washeries by BCCL and CIL and enhancement in capacity of existing washery by SAIL.
• Diversifying the coking coal import sources.
• Allocation of Coking Coal Mines to Steel CPSEs, viz Tokisud North Coal Mine and Rohne Coal Mine to NMDC and Rabodih Open Cast Project (OCP) Coal Mine to Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL).
• To grant long term linkage of raw coking coal to SAIL from BCCL.
• Extension of Tasra Coking Coal Block lease in favour of SAIL.
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