New Delhi Eleven cement makers whom the fair trade regulator CCI has found guilty of adopting anti-competitive practices, on Thursday approached Competition Appellate Tribunal (COMPAT) challenging its July 30 findings.

It issued notices to the Competition Commission of India and listed the matter for next hearing on November 22. The 3-member COMPAT bench, headed by its chairman Justice VS Sirpurkar, however, asked the CCI not to take any coercive action against Shree Cement Ltd against whom penalty of Rs 397.51 crore was imposed by the regulator on July 30.

In a perfect market economy, where all externalities are internalised by the companies and paid for by the consumers, a market leader will also be an environment leader. The ground reality is, however, different. Take the example of Grasim Industries Ltd, which became the biggest cement company in the country after acquiring the cement division of Larsen and Toubro in 2003-04.