Chennai, Nov 16 (UNI) In a bid to bring down the spiralling prices of construction

materials, which has affected the construction activities in Tamil Nadu and to ease

the burden of the people, Chief Minister M K Stalin today launched the state-owned

‘Valimai’ brand cement.

The new brand will give a big relief to the construction activities in the state as the

cement industry had been urging the government to take steps to bring down the

prices.

The new cement brand from the Tamil Nadu Cements Corporation Limited (TANCEM)

has two varieties and were priced at Rs 350 and Rs 365 per bag, Industries Minister

Thangam Thennarasu told reporters after the launch.

He said the new cement brand was launched for the benefit of people from sections

of the society.

He said the new cement had greater compression strength and quick setting and was

also heat resistant.

TANCEM initially operated with one plant at Alangulam in Virudhunagar district with

a capacity of two lakh MT per annum. It added two more cement plants in Ariyalur

district with a total capacity of 17 lakh MT per annum and was marketing a cement

brand named ‘Arasu.’

Earlier, following a request from the construction sector, the state government held

talks with the cement manufacturers and reduced the prices of cement.

UNI GV 1433