Defence ordnance factories have asked the two special steel plants of SAIL, the Alloy Steel Plant (ASP) at Durgapur and Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Ltd (VISL) at Bhadravati to immediately supply about 14,000 tonnes of special grade steel, the sources said. The orders have come in the wake of a national crisis at Kargil when the ordnance factories stepped up their requirement of special grades of sail steel during May-June 1999.

"This is due to our speciality in producing quality steels in special grades, SAIL has been entrusted with the task of shouldering the strategic responsibility of meeting immediate defence needs," the sources said. Half the order volume is likely to be supplied during themonth of July itself, they added. According to SAILsources, the volume of the order nearly equals the total supply of these special grades made by the company during last financial year.

VISL and ASP supplied 7,063 tonnes and 8,414 tonnes respectively of special grade steel for Defence needs. In addition, VISL had supplied one lakh shell castings to the ordinance factories in 1998-99.