|
Lok Sabha
Khetri Copper Complex (KCC) of the Hindustan Copper Ltd. , HCL, comprises of two underground mines namely, Kolihan Mine and Khetri Mine, a beneficiation plant and a smelter with capacity of producing 31,000 tonnes of refined copper per annum. The company with the assistance provided by Government taken all possible steps to improve the viability of the unit by overhauling and repair of the smelter and by procurement of machinery and equipment required for mining and beneficiation plant. The manpower of KCC has also been rationalized in a planned way. 2240 employees have been separated from KCC on Voluntary retirement since 2001-2002. At present there are 3105 employees, comprising of 317 officers and 2788 workmen.
The unit had been incurring losses for quite some time mainly due to low productivity of underground mine, lower copper content in the concentrate, low LME price of copper, which affected the viability of underground mines as a whole. However, with higher LME price of copper and improved performance, KCC has posted positive gross margin for the first time in 2004 after a gap of more than seven years.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Mines, Dr. Dasari Narayana Rao in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
|
