Minister of State for Steel update on steel consumption
Shri Vishnu Deo Sai the Minister of State for Steel, has said that there is no one to one corelation between per capita consumption of steel and steel prices. The steel prices depend on a variety of factors at a given point of time including the demand and supply balance in the market, international price, domestic costs of raw materials, cost of production and delivery, cost of financing, prevailing taxes etc.
Low prices of steel may prompt higher steel consumption. However, price elasticity of steel demand in most cases has been found to be low. Further, estimation of price elasticity is a complex exercise and therefore, no strong conclusion may be drawn on the relationship between price and demand.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha Shri Vishnu Deo Sai said that the Government has taken the following steps to encourage the use of steel products in rural India:
(I). Has organized steel campaign in rural areas to apprise the benefits of steel usage and promote best practices in mason work using reinforcement bars through the Institute of Steel Development and Growth.
(ii). Has requested all the major steel plants to take up the designs developed by INSDAG for low cost houses with innovative and cost effective technology. INSDAG has also designed bridges and culverts, local huts, panchayat hall, school building, anganwadi centre, cycle shed, community toilets etc. for model rural village.
(iii). Has conducted training programs through INSDAG on Entrepreneurship and Steel Development in rural India. INSDAG has also developed prototype community grain storage bin.
(iv). In order to address the issue of non-availability of steel in the rural areas, has exhorted the major steel producers like Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, etc to set up rural stock points at various places to make steel (reinforcement bars, structural steel, galvanized sheet for roofing and construction purpose) available in the rural India. This has largely facilitated the use, application and availability of steel in rural areas.
Source – Strategic Research Institute