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Wire & Cable ASIA – May/June 2015
India Insight
Electrification probe
The competition commission of India has instigated a probe
into REC Power Distribution Company for the alleged
misuse of its dominant position in financing rural
electrification schemes.
The commission has directed the director-general to
complete the investigation in 60 days.
REC Power Distribution Company is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Rural Electrification Corporation Ltd, a
Navratna central public sector enterprise (CPSE) under the
power ministry.
A complaint received by the commission alleged that there
is a conflict of interest between REC Power Distribution
Company and its parent company in implementing the
Rajeev Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojna scheme of rural
electricity infrastructure and household electrification.
The complainant alleges that, despite there being several
CPSEs and private companies operating in the market to
prepare detailed project reports (DPRs), choosing REC
Power Distribution Company without following any
tendering process is an elimination of fair competition in the
market.
REC, through a network of 13 project offices and five zonal
offices, has been engaged in financing and promoting rural
electrification projects across India.
Its main objectives are to promote, develop, construct, own,
operate, distribute and maintain electric supply lines of 66kV
and below, and provide consultancy in electrification for
agencies and government bodies in India and abroad.
REC Power Distribution Company – India
Website:
Possible company sale
Tata Steel has signed a memorandum of understanding with
the Klesch Group to undertake preparation and negotiation
for the potential sale of its Long Products Europe business
and associated distribution activities.
The memorandum covers several UK-based assets
including Tata Steel’s Scunthorpe steelworks, mills in
Teesside, Dalzell and Clydebridge in Scotland, an
engineering workshop in Workington and a rail consultancy
in York, as well as operations in France and Germany. About
6,500 people are employed at Long Products Europe and its
distribution facilities.
Karl Koehler, chief executive of Tata Steel’s European
operations, said: “We will now move into detailed due
diligence and negotiations, though no assurance can be
given about the outcome.”
Explaining the context and rationale for this decision, he
added: “We’ve improved the competitiveness of Tata Steel’s
European operations, including Long Products Europe
which now supplies more of the innovative steel rail, rod,
plate, sections and special profile products demanded by
customers.”
“We have…decided to concentrate our resources mainly on
our strip products activities, where we have greater
cross-European production and technological synergies,”
he added.
Tata Steel – India
Website:
Klesch Group – Switzerland
Website:
TMT coils in production
The first 40 wagons (2,209.87 tonnes) of 8mm TMT coils
produced from IISCO Steel Plant’s Concast steel billets
have been dispatched to the Durgapur Steel Exchange yard
for distribution.
The TMT coils were rolled from 150mm x 150mm x 12mm
billets, produced by the continuous casting plants at
Burnpur, West Bengal. To date, a total of 3,766 tonnes of
coils have been produced at the mill.
Congratulating the employees, executive director-in-charge
Ishwar Chandra Sahu said that there is heavy demand for
these earthquake-resistant TMT bars, and anticipates
sustained production.
The production of TMT bars at the new wire rod mill began
on 9th January 2014, originally using billets from the
Durgapur Steel Plant. Since its first dispatch of 8mm TMT
coils the mill has achieved significant milestones in both
quality and quantity, and now only billets produced at IISCO
Steel Plant are used to produce TMT coils.
IISCO Steel – India
Website:
Forest fibre
The Maharashtra government has given clearance for the
laying of fibre optic cables through forest areas, except
national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, provided no trees
are felled for the work.
Maharashtra’s forest minister, Sudhir Mungantiwar, took the
decision to facilitate work on providing broadband Internet
connectivity to all gram panchayat areas in the state under
the national optical fibre network scheme. The regional
deputy conservator of forests will have the powers to grant
permission to dig through forestlands.
In an official statement, Mr Mungantiwar said: “If such
optical fibre lines are to be laid through forestlands, it will no
more be necessary to submit a proposal to the state
government, which is mandatory for other such projects.”
Maharashtra Government – India
Website: