October 30: Hetauda Cement Industry has suspended production as it could not buy coal in time due to financial crunch. The industry consumes 3,600 metric tonnes coal per month.     General Manager of the industry Basanta Raj Pandey said that the industry was in operation before the start of the Dashain festival and had produced 300,000 sacks of cement during that period. He shared that they had to suspend production as they could not buy coal from third countries due to financial crisis.    
According to him, the line minister and the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies have been informed of this dire situation of the industry, and the production can be resumed if the federal government provides financial assistance.    
He added that preparation has been made for selling a total 300,000 sacks of cement to various cities, including Kathmandu, and the income from this would be used for purchasing coal. 

The Hetauda Cement Industry has around 390 employees. -- RSS