India, Dec. 22 -- The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has pulled up Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) for delays in project implementation, shortfall in planned production and cost escalation due to overconsumption of raw materials. The audit report of CAG on 'Performance of Blast Furnaces in SAIL' for 2017-2024 was tabled in Parliament on Thursday.A blast furnace is a key unit in the production process of a steel

plant and produces hot metal which is the primary raw material for steel making. The blast furnaces of SAIL consumed more iron ore lump than the norm mainly due to variation in the Fe (iron) content in the iron ore. Inconsistent use of pellets also contributed to the excess consumption of iron ore lump. Overall, the...