India: The Tamil Nadu government has announced the 'Amma Cement Scheme,' under which it will procure cement from private manufacturers with the intention of re-selling at a set price in the event of a possible future price increase.
J Jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu's chief minister, said that she had recently discussed the situation regarding production of cement from the state and supply from outside with officials. Tamil Nadu consumes 1.7 – 1.8Mt/month of cement. Some 400,000 – 450,000t is supplied by Andhra Pradesh, where prices have recently risen substantially. As such, Tamil Nadu has reduced its purchases from Andhra Pradesh to 150,000 – 300,000t/month. However, Tamil Nadu's cement producers have risen their own prices as demand grows.
The Amma Cement Scheme was created in response. The Tamil Nadu government will purchase 200,000t/month of cement from private manufacturers and re-sell it through local distributors. Beneficiaries are eligible for a maximum of 750 bags and the cement could be bought by submitting a government-approved building plan or aroad plan. Those who want to buy cement for repair and renovation are eligible for 10 - 100 bags. Tamil Nadu Cement Corporation will be the nodal agency and the scheme will be implemented by Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation and Rural Development Department.
