Punjab News- PM assures to give personal hearing to Steel Re-roller Industry Association: Randip Singh

Chandigarh, September 14, 2013: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today met a delegation of All India Steel Re-rollers Association, accompanied by Congress MLA from Amloh Randeep Singh Nabha and assured to give personal hearing to them on various problems faced by the industry.

Nabha expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for patient hearing to the delegation led by him.

Nabha along with Vinod Vashisht President of the Association briefed the Prime Minister about issues related to Re-Roller industry and handed over a memorandum of demands. The Prime Minister told the delegation he would give an appointment soon for detailed discussion on demands. Randip Nabha told the Prime Minister that small scale industry sector of Mandi Gobindgarh was in serious trouble and needs immediate attention.

The memorandum said that the rerolled products were exempted from excise duty before 1994. After imposition of Central Excise provisions, a parallel economy came into existence and corruption and evasion of duty plagued the whole system. The mandatory provision of taking ISI certificate for all products would throw the industry out of competition as it required new machinery and equipment. The Central Excise and Taxation Department has set high targets for the tax collection much higher than the national growth percentage. The Income Tax and Excise officials put pressure on Industry to collect taxes which often amounts to harassment.  The Association has demanded to abolish target system for collection of taxes. The issue of supply of gas for industry was also brought to the notice of Prime Minister.