Fresh quality control order issued on steel products
The central government has issued new quality control guidelines for more than 145 steel items. In a gazette announcement, the new notification replaces the previous quality control regime (QCO) which was a cover for 112 products ranging from stainless steel tubes and pipes to primary cells and battery components. The bulk parts of the Quality Control orders like specifications to Steel Wire for Staples, Pins and Clips will be in effect immediately.
It is stipulated that any substandard or faulty steel or steel products that are not in conformity with the standard specified, must be treated as scrap.
The QCO includes products like Steel Chequered Plates, Mild steel for welding electrodes, as well as wire rods made of mild steel to be used for general engineering and many more.
Quality control for Galvanized Structural Steel will be in effect within three months. QCO for Hot-dip Zinc Coating on Structural Steel Bars to Concrete Reinforcement Ferrochromium and Silicomanganese is valid for six months.
In October of last year the Centre has made the Steel Ministry’s approval mandatory for imports that have not been approved from BIS. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in a move that to crack down on products that are not of a high standard. It came following the BIS issued an order to control quality for a wide range of steel products. Importers were compelled from the Centre to get prior approval for the quality of import products for local sale.
