Our Reporter
Dimapur, April 13 (EMN): Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has announced that it will enter Nagaland market again after retreating from the state 19 years ago.
This was informed by the Director of National Schedule Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC), Johny G Rengma, during consumer’s meet organised by SAIL, Ministry of Steel, at Little Hut in Chumoukedima on Wednesday.
Rengma informed that stocks for Nagaland will be available at Toiwa Renewable Energy Inc., the authorised stockist for SAIL in the state that will look after the supply chain.
He said that SAIL had to leave the state in the past due to rampant extortion but the improved law and order situation has convinced the government of India to return to the state.
He opined that extortion is still rampant in Nagaland but government of India has viewed it ‘little differently’ following the improvement of law and order machinery in the state.
Pankaj Kumar, commercial marketing in-charge of SAIL, shared that they started their office in Dimapur in 1983 but was closed down in 2003 due to some operational expenses and losses. He added that they are now operating from Guwahati office and covering all the north-eastern states to make sure that materials reach the public.
He clarified that SAIL products have always been available in Nagaland but this time they are trying to improve their service in the state, because of which it organised the consumer’s meet and appointing people for the stock market.
Some of the materials that SAIL supplies in Nagaland include solar power projects, rail-line network, and Smart City project.
Kumar stated that the Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Nitin Gadkari, had inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 15 national highway projects in Nagaland on December 4, 2020.
He informed that the projects will cover about 266 km costing around INR 4,127 crore.
It was also clarified that the products are not supplied free of cost.
Meanwhile, Apok Jamir, former Member of Parliament, told the gathering that one has to ‘keep in mind the social aspect for sustaining and protecting the ecosystem’.
He lauded SAIL for embarking on various green missions, where they try to restore forest, assist even small states like Nagaland and create job opportunities by setting up huge industries and educational infrastructure.
Appreciating them for focusing in the Northeast region, he said “the Look East policy has been transmitted into Act East policy and in the years to come, Northeast will be the centre of economic activities, and for that SAIL can play a very vital role”.
‘We also have to make sure that the consumers and locals are benefited through small retail outlets,’ he added.
Further, he said that the Ukraine-Russian war has affected the global economy, which has also trickled down to the state-level and ‘today we witness the rise in petrol and steel prices’.
“And these are the concerns the government of India should look into. I think the humanitarian and welfare aspect of the people needs to be taken to great consideration,” he added.
TK Angami, businessman; Rev. Noksa Chiu, Secretary of NBCC; Ren James, social entrepreneur; and Fr. Arockia Sezhian Francis, campus manager and construction in-charge of St. Joseph University also spoke on behalf of consumers at the event.