Focus on enhancing domestic steel consumption: Minister

The steel ministry is focusing on enhancing domestic consumption, production of high quality steel and making the sector globally competitive, Union minister Chaudhary Birender Singh told a committee today.
The ministry's consultive committee, which comprises MPs and steel ministry officials as members, held its meeting at Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh today, a release by the steel ministry said.
"Our focus is on enhancing domestic consumption, high quality steel production and making the sector globally competitive," Singh, who heads the panel, said.
The Members of Parliament appreciated the new National Steel Policy (NSP) 2017 and the new policy for providing preference to domestically manufactured iron and steel products in government procurement, the release said.

"The most significant and far-reaching of all policy interventions is the rolling out of the NSP. The policy lays forward the road map for the industry in the coming years and will help in harnessing the sector's untapped potential," the release said.
On May 3, the Cabinet had approved the National Steel Policy 2017 which reflects the aspirations of domestic steel industry for achieving 300 MT of steelmaking capacity by 2030-31.
Steel Secretary Aruna Sharma and SAIL Chairman P K Singh Chairman were among those who attended the meeting.