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Dhumal urges PM to declare cement as controlled item

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In order to make cement cheaper in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister P.K.Dhumal has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to declare the commodity as a controlled item and include it under the purview of Essential Commodities Act. Dhumal decided to take the step following the refusal of cement manufacturers in the state to bring down prices. The Chief Minister has stated that the issue of high prices has arisen following the decontrol of the commodity in 2002 and its exemption from the purview of the Essential Commodities Act for facilitating market competition. It has been observed that instead of benefiting cement consumers, the decision to decontrol the commodity has harmed them. It had been assumed that in a free market economy, competition among cement suppliers would have resulted in a proper retail selling price for cement. However, the Chief Minister stated that this was not the case in Himachal Pradesh and the existing three major cement manufacturing companies in the state had fixed prices in a arbitrary and irrational manner. Government officials have stated that a meeting of cement manufacturers is likely to be called by the Chief Minister soon.

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