Economy & Market

Managing factory inspectors is taking more time than running the business.

Published

12 years ago

May 31, 2014

admin

Sudhir Bhargav,
Proprietor, Vishal Cement & Steel
We have been catering to the cement market in Nagpur (Maharashtra) from last 40 years dispatching around 8000 MT of cement per month. Orient and Birla Gold are two very popular brands in this region.

One of the big problems here is labour shortage. Nagpur has inflow of labour from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Ever since the government started with its scheme to provide 35 kg rice and food grains per person every month, at the rate of Rs 2 per kg, the workers do not feel the need to work anymore. 35 kg is more than one can eat in a month. The rice that they buy at Rs 2 per kg is then sold back in the market at Rs 15-16 per kg. On top of that, the government also provides 18 day wage to all workers registered under its scheme (Mukhya Mantri Rahat) irrespective of whether they have any work to do or not. This is sufficient to keep them away from work creating huge labour shortage for us. Rather than implementing labour laws for the benefit of the workers, or starting with infra projects that will create employment, the UPA government believed in giving them such freebies paid for with our tax money.

In Maharashtra we are paying 32 different types of taxes, and now they have introduced LBT. We have a factory at MIDC for manufacturing concrete tiles and interlocking blocks. Every day we have some inspector coming and asking for all kind of papers and documents. We have to hire people just to tackle these nuisances. Managing factory inspectors is taking more time than running the business.

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.