New lease of life for Hundung cement plant
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 17 2011:
The defunct public sector enterprise Hundung Cement Factory would soon get a new lease of life as the State Government has agreed to lease it out to a private firm.
A high-ranking official of Commerce and Industries Department informed The Sangai Express that Super Ores Factory which is a partner of the Satyam Group of Industries based in Assam was given permission by the State Government to re-establish the Hundung Cement Factory and run it themselves.
Along with licensing the private company to re-establish the factory, the State Government has asked the private company to furnish its mining plan for leasing out the mining plant together with the defunct factory.
The factory would be re-established at Hundung itself, conveyed the official.
Commerce and Industries Department has already consulted with Power Department to provide adequate power necessary for re-establishing and running the cement factory.
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The private company which would re-establish Hundung Cement Factory is the same company currently running a rolling steel mill for scrap metals at Taphou in Senapati district.
It is reported that the company has set a target of manufacturing 1500 metric tonnes of cement everyday, which is triple times higher from its earlier target of 500 metric tonnes per day.
Hundung, Phungyar and Meiring in Ukhrul have around 20 million metric tonnes of limestone deposits.
Notably, limestone is one of the basic raw materials required for manufacturing cement.
However, there are certain apprehensions on whether the State Government can give the necessary power for running the factory, conveyed the official.
On the other hand, limestones available in Ukhrul are being used by the Border Roads Organisation in repairing/developing Imphal-Ukhrul road.
Some of the limestone deposits have been already converted into quarrying sites.
Meanwhile, subsequent upon the Union Government's consent to exploit chromite found in Ukhrul ad Chandel districts, the State Government has started issuing prospective licences.
The State Government has also signed an undertaking with Orissa based private company Orient for mining chromite.