The Minister of State for Mines, Steel and
Labour and Employment, Shri Vishnu Deo Sai has said that the Steel Development Fund (SDF) was set up in 1978
for the development and rehabilitation of the steel industry. In 1997, the
Union Cabinet decided on the objectives of the SDF as follows:
i) Expenditure not exceeding of
Rs. 150.00 Crores may be incurred exclusively on research and development of
steel in the country.
ii) A
further expenditure not exceeding Rs. 50.00 Crores may be incurred on:
·
Assistance
to the SSIC Units.
·
Environmental
and Pollution Control in the iron & steel sector.
·
Export
promotion and Market Development not exceeding Rs. 5.00 Crores in a year.
·
Expenditure
on account of Economic Research Unit of JPC.
·
Expenditure
on account of Prime Minister’s Trophy.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today,
Shri Vishnu Deo Sai has said that During
the last three years, the SDF fund has been utilized in the following fashion:-
Amount in Rs. Crores
|
Applications
|
2011-12
|
2012-13
|
2013-14
|
April 2014 –
June 2014
|
|
R&D payments
|
3.01
|
8.95
|
17.41
|
1.75
|
|
SSIC rebate payment
|
12.58
|
15.29
|
20.04
|
4.96
|
|
Hon’ble Prime Minister’s Trophy
|
Nil
|
6.00
|
Nil
|
|
|
Economic Research Unit
|
4.70
|
5.47
|
7.36
|
2.08
|
|
Pollution Control Sector
|
Nil
|
Nil
|
8.22
|
0.06
|
|
Market Development Project (MDP)
|
Nil
|
0.45
|
0.12
|
0.05
|
He said that no
investment has been made by Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) for setting
up gas-based steel plants abroad.
The Minister said that as on 31.3.2014, the following
amounts are receivable from Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL):-
Loan :
Rs. 204.10 crores
Interest
: Rs. 651.43 crores
The
loan is being recycled as fresh loan. So far, SAIL has paid Rs.507.14 crores
as interest.
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NSK/NN