Economy & Market

Bedlam in Himachal assembly over high cement prices

Published

13 years ago

March 4, 2013

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Cement price issue created a pandemonium in the Himachl Pradesh State Assembly recently. Not satisfied with the government’s reply, members of the opposition in the House had a heated argument with the minister concerned and later raised slogans against the government inside the House. They were pacified only when chief minister Virbhadra Singh made a statement, assuring the House that cement prices would be brought down.

The opposition members in the House said that despite cement units polluting environment in the state, cement was being sold at higher rates in Himachal as compared to other states. Is the government taking any step to reduce the price, one of the opposition members asked.

The State Minister for Food and Civil Supplies GS Bali replied that companies fix the rates and that the government’s intention is clear that they reduce the price as they are extracting natural resources from the state. A bag of cement is sold between Rs 295 and Rs 310 in Punjab, whereas in Himachal, the price ranges from Rs 310 to 340.

The truck unions are charging Rs 8.13 per tonne per km fare in Himachal, whereas in the neighbouring state, it is Rs 2.50, he said and added that the CM has formed a committee under industries minister Mukesh Agnihotri and the chief secretary and that negotiations are on to reduce the cement prices.

Concrete

WCA Welcomes SiloConnect as associate corporate member

Published

2 hours ago

April 13, 2026

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The World Cement Association (WCA) has announced SiloConnect as its newest associate corporate member, expanding its network of technology providers supporting digitalisation in the cement industry. SiloConnect offers smart sensor technology that provides real-time visibility of cement inventory levels at customer silos, enabling producers to monitor stock remotely and plan deliveries more efficiently. The solution helps companies move from reactive to proactive logistics, improving delivery planning, operational efficiency and safety by reducing manual inspections. The technology is already used by major cement producers such as Holcim, Cemex and Heidelberg Materials and is deployed across more than 30 countries worldwide.

Concrete

TotalEnergies and Holcim Launch Floating Solar Plant in Belgium

Published

2 hours ago

April 13, 2026

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TotalEnergies and Holcim have commissioned a floating solar power plant in Obourg, Belgium, built on a rehabilitated former chalk quarry that has been converted into a lake. The project has a generation capacity of 31 MW and produces around 30 GWh of renewable electricity annually, which will be used to power Holcim’s nearby industrial operations. The project is currently the largest floating solar installation in Europe dedicated entirely to industrial self-consumption. To ensure minimal impact on the surrounding landscape, more than 700 metres of horizontal directional drilling were used to connect the solar installation to the electrical substation. The project reflects ongoing collaboration between the two companies to support industrial decarbonisation through renewable energy solutions and innovative infrastructure development.

Concrete

Cortec® Corporation applauded for its strong safety performance

Published

2 hours ago

April 13, 2026

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Cortec® Corporation has been recognised for its strong safety performance, receiving its sixth Governor’s Workplace Safety Award for its outstanding performance in 2025. As a Silver Achievement recipient, the company continues to maintain safety metrics well above national industry averages, an impressive accomplishment for a chemical manufacturing organisation. This achievement reflects Cortec’s proactive approach to workplace safety, focused on early hazard detection and employee involvement. The company will be formally recognised at the Minnesota Safety and Health Conference in May, highlighting how industrial companies are effectively strengthening workplace safety standards.