The cement companies in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday offered to reduce the cement price so that the weaker section can benefit from it.
The economically weaker sections in Tamil Nadu, who build houses ranging from 500 sq ft to 1,000 sq ft at a construction cost of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, will get 200 to 400 bags of cement at Rs 200 for a bag of 50 kg. The cement companies will offer 20 lakh bags of blended cement every month for this.
They will supply 14 lakh bags of cement a month to Tancem, (Tamil Nadu Cement Corporation) at Rs 220 a bag, against the present committed price of Rs 230 a bag.
?Each cement company in the state will adopt a certain home district near its location and extend the benefit of subsidised cement to the economically backward section and lower middle class. Cement will be delivered at the door step of such consumers against permits, which are to be issued by the appropriate officials in every district.
Producers located outside the state and supplying to Tamil Nadu will also participate in this scheme, a letter addressed to the chief minister M Karunanidhi by the representatives of major cement companies said. Last week the government warned that the state would take over the companies if they did not reduce the price.
The company representatives have assured that a decision on price cut would be taken by Thursday.