CCI slapped Rs 6,704 cr fine on cement companies: Pilot

The commission had probed two cases against cement manufacturing companies wherein in one case it had slapped a penalty of Rs 6,307.32 crore on 11 cement firms while it had imposed a penalty of Rs 397.51 crore on Shree Cement Ltd in the second matter, Corporate Affairs Minister, Sachin Pilot said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.     Besides, the minister said CCI had slapped penalties on four chemist and druggist groupings in the country like the All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists.     CCI had levied a penalty of Rs 47.41 lakh on All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists.     Further, it had slapped a penalty of Rs 5.6 lakh on Assam Drug Dealers association, Rs 2 lakh on Chemist and Druggists, Association in Goa and Rs 53,537 on Chemist and Druggist Association in Baroda.Replying to whether CCI had looked into cartelization in the telecom sector, Pilot said that while CCI has probed the cement and pharmaceutical sector, "no such investigation has so far been ordered in the telecom sector".     Last week, the Commission had imposed a fine of Rs 55.43 lakh on Chemists & Druggists Association, Ferozepur (in Punjab) and its office bearers for unfair trade practices.