Himachal cement companies shelve price hike plans

An intervention by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has forced two subsidiaries of LafargeHolcim with cement plants in Himachal Pradesh to reduce their prices by INR5 per bag in the state.

Ambuja and ACC have agreed in principle to reduce the price with immediate effect, a government spokesperson said. The cement price was enhanced from INR360/bag (US$5.54) by the companies on Tuesday.

UltraTech Cement Ltd, which took over Jaypee Cement, was also directed not to enhance the rate, an official statement said.

The state has four cement plants, Barmana (ACC), Darlaghat (Ambuja), Rajban (CCI) and Bagha (UltraTech). The combined cement capacity is 10.66Mta.

Meanwhile, ACC Ltd and DOC Research Institute have released an audit report on Corporate Social Responsibility in Mumbai. The report highlights ACC Limited’s commitment to holistic community development in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. The 130-page report also discusses the social audit conducted at ACC for measuring performance in CSR for 2014-16, with a focus on its 14 cement manufacturing plants.