December 18: More than 500 workers working in cement industries operating in the Bara-Parsa industrial corridor have become unemployed due to the closure of four cement industries.

International Cement, Bishwakarma Cement, Krishna Cement and RMC Cement operating in the biggest economic corridor of the country have stopped production due to economic recession, and the workers and employees working there have become unemployed.

Four of the 12 industries operating in the corridor have been closed. Anil Agarwal, president of Birgunj chapter of the FNCCI and owner of Shree Cement Udyog, informed that the rest of the industries are also in a state of closure. According to him, the problem has arisen due to high interest rate charged by banks, lack of infrastructure development and non-payment of construction works. Agarwal said that some industries shut down due to the drop in demand for cement.

India has been charging a tax of Rs 1,000 per ton of clinker which it had been providing free of charge to the Nepali cement industry earlier. Agrawal says that it is necessary for the government to pay attention to this issue. According to the industrialists, Nepali cement can be exported to India if the government takes the initiative to provide the Indian quality mark BIS, which Nepali cement industry has been demanding for years.