Raipur, India – The Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Mr. Bhupesh Baghel, addressed steel entrepreneurs from all over the country at the All India Steel Conclave held on Sunday. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting and taking the steel sector forward in the state, which he described as the backbone of the Chhattisgarh economy.
During his address, CM Baghel acknowledged the challenges faced by the steel industry in recent years, including the crisis of expensive electricity, fuel, and raw materials, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. He credited the government’s policies during the pandemic for ensuring that industries were not closed and that steel production continued smoothly.
The Chief Minister announced that the government would incur losses to ensure the smooth running of industries and had given exemptions in electricity charges. He also called for steel businessmen to get coal linkage from the South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) and emphasized the need for better road infrastructure.
CM Baghel also highlighted the state’s response to the oxygen shortage during the second wave of COVID-19, where Chhattisgarh had no shortage of oxygen due to the quick issuance of licenses to industrialists to set up oxygen plants. He urged the Prime Minister to provide oxygen to steel plants as well.
The Chief Minister expressed his pride in the fact that Chhattisgarh had produced the maximum steel in the country during the pandemic and that the industrial scenario in the state had completely changed over the last four years. He was joined by the Forest and Environment Minister, Mohammad Akbar, Raipur MP, Sunil Soni, and Steel Conclave officials, Ramesh Agarwal and Surendra Tripathi, at the event.
In conclusion, the Chief Minister’s address at the All India Steel Conclave reassured steel entrepreneurs from across the country of the government’s support and commitment to overcoming challenges faced by the steel industry, and the potential for Chhattisgarh to become a leader in the steel sector.
