SHIMLA:  Cement Major Adani group,  which now owns the cement plants at Darlaghat and Barmana in Himachal Pradesh has shutdown its operations of the plants on December 14, citing the rising cost of transportation of raw material  and cement that has made the cement plants unviable for the company. 

The Adani group management took this drastic step soon after Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu took over the state command and took a serious note of the increase in cost of cement in the state over the months.

interesting, Left-supported CITU and Congress-backed  INTUC trade unions have sought action against Adani group for unilaterally shutting the cement factories, BJP-backed BMS trade union is mum on this so far.  

Adani Group not only enjoys monopoly in cement industry but  Adani also runs its CAS stores for apple  and buy apples directly from the farmers in Himachal Pradesh. 

Gautam Adani  is now the second richest man in  the world. The shutting down of its cement plants soon after Sukhu took over as Chief Minister has assumed national and international political dimension.

Adani's extreme action came at a rime when National Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in on Bharat Jodo Yatra and has been attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi government for allegedly mortgaging the country to "Andanis and Ambanis".

He had called the meeting of the officials of industry department yesterday and directed them to check the rising cost of cement in the state.

Sukhu had directed the department to find Ways and Means to  keep the cost of cement in check.

This could be a pressure tactics of the company not accepting the "writ of Chief Minister".

In fact, the consumers in Himachal are  getting cement at the higher rates as compared with the rates prevailing in the other states.

According to the plant head of the plants,  due to the rising operational cost of transportation of raw material and prevailing market conditions,  the transportation of cement has been reduced drastically.

It has resulted in a very poor dispatch of cement. It has adversely affected our market share and as a result company is suffering a huge financial loss, plant head claimed.

Keeping in view of the other condition the management is forced to shut the operation of the plants with an immediate effect.

Hence all the employees are informed not to attend the duties with immediate effect till further instruction.

The Adani  Group has acquired  recently the cement plants owned by the ACC cement and  Ambujas in the state.

If the deadlock continues, it is bound to increase the cost of the cement in days to come as the whole sellers could resort to black marketing and hoarding to meet the demand in the state.

The management has asked the state government to implement  recommendation of the permanent  standing committee set up by the government  in 2005 under the direction of the High Court to control the rates of the transportation in the state. 

The committee recommends the fright charges of Rs 6.00 PTPK. If the state government does not implement this then the company will engage other transporters to carry its goods from Darlaghat, the Company warns

On the other hand, the Sukhu government faces piquant situation as it the question of bread and butter of over 15000 odd people who get direct or indirect employment from the cement pants.

The consumers demand rollback on cement prices as people in Himachal Pradesh are getting the costliest cement  as compared with other states despite the fact that the cement plants are located in Himachal Pradesh. 

The transporters  lobby is powerful as they enjoy political patronage in the state. They have been running its writs in the transportation business over the years. 

After direction from the Chief Minister, the deputy commissioner Bilaspur and officials of state transport authorities and industries department hold talks in Bilaspur on Thursday, but the parties remained adamant on their stand and the standoff continued.

The coming days would a test of Sukhu's administrative skill as to how he manages  and resolve the problem keeping all lobbies in good humour as all eyes are on him and on  the next move of the Adani group, which runs these cement plants.  

Chairman of HP Congress Vichar Manch Vijay Pal Singh has blamed the previous Jai Ram Thakur government for keeping the issue in deep freeze and allowing the company to increase the cement rates. When there is change in government, which has sought to solve the standoff , the company has flagged by shutting down the plants.