Palakkad. Kerala government will take steps to double the state’s cement manufacturing capacity by 2023, said the state industries minister P. Rajeev here.
During a visit to the Kanjikode Infra Park and the public sector cement company Malabar Cements here, Mr. Rajeev said the present monthly cement production of six lakh tonnes will be raised to 12 lakh tonnes in two years. Two new cement production units will be commissioned during the period, he said. They are a blending unit at Kochi Port Trust, and a grinding unit at KINFRA, Mattannur in Kannur district. More cement manufacturing units will come up after the completion of the above mentioned ones.
Currently, Kerala is facing severe shortage of construction materials including cement, and the cement production in the state is less than 10 percent of its consumption. It is pointed out that even if the state doubles its production as promised by the minister, it won’t help in satisfying the needs of the state in any major way.
