Himachal’s industry department to hold talks with Adani group to end cement impasse: CM

The Himachal Pradesh government is all set to end the impasse created by the closure of two cement factories and indefinite strike by truck operators union and the industries minister will hold talks with the Adani group to resolve the issue, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Saturday. Talking to reporters at the NIT helipad here, Sukhu, who is on a three days tour of his home district Hamirpur, said the transporters’ union representing truckers engaged by the two Adani group-owned cement plants in Bilaspur and Solan districts have proposed their rates and concerned officers have been directed to fix a meeting with the factory management. Two cement plants at Barmana (Bilaspur district) and Darlaghat (Solan district) owned by ACC Limited and Ambuja Cements, respectively, have been closed since December 14 due to a dispute over freight charges.

Taking a dig at BJP leaders, especially former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur on the issue of granting old pension scheme to the state government employees, Sukhu said this scheme had been implemented in toto and there was no question of ignoring it as it was one of the main election planks of the party. Talking about the suspension of the Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission following a paper leak, he said many more cases of paper leaks would come to the fore in the next few days. He said the Hamirpur-based staff selection commission was the guardian of corruption and his government would not allow graft to survive in the state.