Construction Industry News
Cement manufacturers will need to control the cost of testing in the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) approved labs (NABL) to ensure they provide quality cement for government works.
The Civil Supplies Corporation has introduced this system. The cement is supplied to state governments at subsidized rates by Ambuja Cements Limited, Ultratech Cement, ACC Cement and Duraton.
Delivering substandard cement affects the quality of work and also shortens the life of a building. Since it is supplied to the government at a subsidized rate, product quality cannot be ruled out.
Corporation general manager Lalit Jain told media that in order to ensure that manufacturers provide good quality cement for various government works, the companies should bear the testing costs only through NABL approved labs. Each test will cost Rs 20,000 which will now be paid by the manufacturer.
Previously, the testing costs were borne by the company and the higher costs were a deterrent to adequate testing.
Quality testing will be conducted upon receipt of complaints as cases of substandard cement are also pouring in. The company has 117 goods and complaints of substandard cement come from Sirmaur district.
Cement is supplied to the company by the manufacturer at a subsidized rate of Rs 195 per bag. The cost is then increased from Rs 310 to Rs 330 after adding labor costs, goods and services tax (GST) and the company's profit margin. Freight costs are also added to the final cost through various trucking unions that transport cement at lower prices.
Cement manufacturers said complaints about the substandard cement supply are sometimes faked to allow access from other players, and their product had Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification.
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