GUWAHATI, Sept 14 - The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has registered the case filed by the Assam Real Estate and Infrastructure Developers� Association (AREIDA) with it on the three cement companies operating in the northeastern region for their allegedly fleecing the common buyers.
AREIDA president PK Sarma told this newspaper that the Commission has informed him that after perusal of the Association�s petition and the evidence submitted by the Association against the three cement companies � Star, Topcem and Dalmia � the Commission has accepted that a prima facie case is made against the respondents. The Commission has taken cognisance of the offence committed under sections 3 and 4 of the Competition Act and a case bearing registration number 77/2016 has been registered against these cement companies, Sarma said.
The AREIDA filed the case with the CCI on September 2, 2016 alleging that the above cement companies are leading a syndicate and indulging in rampant cartelisation and manipulation of the market price to fleece the consumers of the Northeast. The case was filed under section 19 (1) (a) of the Competition Act 2002, for violation of section 3 and section 4 of the Act.
The money receipts of the sales of the cement brands of these companies show that at Siliguri, around 500 km away from Guwahati, involving transportation cost, show that the price is surprisingly only Rs 250 per bag. The evidence on record clearly establishes a tactical agreement among these three companies, alleged AREIDA. It collected data from Kolkata, Siliguri, Ranchi and Patna and placed it before the CCI.
These companies, despite enjoying as many as ten subsidies, are artificially hiking cement price by cartelisation, alleged the AREIDA.
