Monday, Jun 24, 2002
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Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram
By Roy Mathew
The company currently markets its product, titanium dioxide pigment, through the State Industrial Products Trading Corporation. A recent deal to market the pigment through a private company in Mumbai had become controversial. The Assembly Committee, headed by Aryadan Mohammed, had recommended way back in February 2001 that the company should study and analyse the scope for marketing the products directly and take a proper decision. This was to be done considering the future of the company and sustainability of its operations. The committee called for strengthening of the Research and Development wing of the company so as to improve the quality of the product. It recommended that the marketing strategy of the company be revised and the marketing wing strengthened. The committee wanted the company to communicate its decision on marketing to it. However, the committee found that the company was beating around the bush. It remarked in its recent report submitted to the Assembly that it had asked the company to conduct a detailed study on direct marketing as that could save on money payable as sales tax. However, instead of replying to the recommendation directly, the company had replied in an ambiguous manner. The committee wanted the company to clarify why it had not properly studied its recommendation and replied in a clear manner. The company said that the A. D. Damodaran committee, which had drawn up the pollution control measures at the factory costing Rs. 100 crores, had recommended direct marketing to ensure profitable functioning of the company. Accordingly, the company had sought the permission of the Government. The matter was still under consideration of the Government. It then went on to talk about the steps taken to improve the quality of its products. It also said that the company did not have a marketing wing now as the pigment was being marketed through the Trading Corporation. In response to another recommendation, the company said that it had asked the Indian Market Research Bureau to examine the prospects of export of the pigment to countries such as China. The committee directed that a copy of the bureau's report be furnished along with action taken on the report. The committee also sought information whether the company would be able to get enough raw material (ilminite) when its expansion plans are completed. The committee has been informed that the public sector Kerala Minerals and Metals (KMML) did not have the capacity to meet the raw material needs of the TTP on expansion of the latter's capacity. However, the matter could be reconsidered when the new mineral separation plant proposed to be built by KMML is commissioned. The committee approved the reply given by the company on pollution control measures. The company said that it was going ahead with the plan proposed by the committee. Accordingly, plants for control of pollution would be set up as first part of the project. In the second phase, modernisation and diversification of the factory would be undertaken. The Government had approved the first phase costing a total of Rs. 108 crores. It said that one of the pollution control measures proposed included recovery of iron sulphate from the effluents.
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