WORKING of four major steel manufacturing companies of Chhattisgarh is under scanner as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has slapped ‘Show Cause Notice’ (SCN) on them for supplying sub-standard TMT bars – reinforcement steel used in concrete – for key road construction projects of National Highways and Expressways. Apart from this, notices have also been issued to seven other steel manufacturing companies of the country and their response has been sought by the authority at the earliest. The SCNs issued to M/s Shri Bajrang Power & Ispat Limited (Goel TMT), M/s Hira Steel (Kore TMT), M/s Shree Nakoda and M/s MSP Steel and Power Limited, has sought explanation within 15 days from date of its issuance. The SCNs have been served from the office of NHAI’s General Manager (Technical), Standards, Research and Development & Quality (SRD&Q) Ajay Kumar Dhal. The notices served by the authority have also asked the four companies of Chhattisgarh to explain why they should not suspend their firms supply rights – technically referred to as one-time source approval – in view of non-conformance of their product.

 

‘The Hitavada’ has accessed the copies of all the four SCNs, wherein M/s MSP Steel and Power Limited has been served SCN dated June 21, while M/s Shri Bajrang Power & Ispat Limited (Goel TMT), M/s Hira Steel (Kore TMT) and M/s Shree Nakoda have been issued notices dated June 19. While three of these steel manufacturing companies are based in Raipur, one is situated in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh. The SCNs served to all the above four reputed steel manufacturing companies of Chhattisgarh have categorically pointed out that the random sampling of the TMT bars supplied by the four companies at multiple sites of NHAI’s ongoing projects failed to conform the requisite quality standards. It also affirmed that the random sampling of the TMT bars was done under the presence of Independent Engineer (IE) and concessionaire representative wherein the test conducted at a third-party National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited lab found that the sample failed to conform to the limits specified in IS-1786 for Chemical Composition test.

 

Notably, the IS-1786 test here refers to specific tests required for steel bars specified in the Indian Standard (IS) 1786:2016. This standard applies to all hot-rolled deformed bars (rebars) used in reinforced concrete construction. In technical terminology, it is also called ‘Tensile Testing’ a destructive process that provides information about the tensile strength, yield strength, and ductility of the metallic material. It measures the force required to break a composite or plastic specimen and the extent to which the specimen stretches or elongates to that breaking point. According to NHAI, Shri Bajrang Power and Ispat Limited had got the contract of TMT bars supply work for the authority’s ongoing work of ‘6-Laning of Wainganga Bridge-Bhandara (including Bhandara Bypass) section of NH-53 in the state of Maharashtra.

 

The company for this stretch of NHAI’s project supplied the Goel TMT brand. Similarly, M/s Hira Steel also got the contract to supply TMT bars for ‘4-Laning’ work on NH-146 between Barkhedi to Gadpehar Bhopal-Sagar in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Here, the company supplied the Kore TMT brand. Likewise, M/s Shree Nakoda too got the work to supply TMT bards for ‘4-Laning of Vikravandi-Sethiyathope section from km 0.000 to Km 65.960 of NH-45C (New No.36)-Package’ in the state of Tamil Nadu. Lastly, MSP Steel & Power Limited, situated in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh, was awarded the contract of TMT bars supply for ‘4-Laning’ work on NH-169 under Bharatmala Pariyojana on Hybrid Annuity Mode in the state of Karnataka. This ‘4-Laning’ work is underway from Sannur to Bikarnakette section (existing Km 698+850/design km 691+350 to existing km 744.190/design km 736+362) of NH-169. But, according to NHAI, all these companies, instead of supplying TMT bars, meeting product quality and performance criteria as per the applicable standards of consistency, provided sub-standard material.