The Competition Appellate Tribunal (Compat) on Friday styed an order asking 100 cement makers to pay a combined penalty of Rs. 6,300 crore for allegedly acting in a cartel.

The tribunal said that the cement firms are required to pay 10per cent of the fine imposed by the authorities. The tribunal asked the cement companies to pay Rs. 630 crore of the combined fine that was imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in June previous year.

“We would choose to grant stay to the penalties, however with a condition that the appellants deposit 10% of the penalties inflicted,” Compat said in its order on Friday.

The Competition Commission of India has alleged that the cement makers in country have formed cartels and has imposed a heavy fine on the firms. The fine imposed by the commission runs in to hundreds of crores for the firms depending upon the amount of profit made by them. CCI has imposed a whopping Rs 6,307 crore fine on 11 leading cement makers for forming price cartel.

Industry body CMA is also facing a fine of Rs 73 lakh and JAL faces the highest fine of Rs 1,323.6 crore followed by Ultratech Cements at Rs 1,175.49 crore, Ambuja Cements at Rs 1163.91 crore and ACC at Rs 1,147.59 crore. Firms pointed out that there are 45 cement companies and more than 140 plants across the country and cartelization allegations are false. Some cement manufacturers are considering approaching the Competition Appellate Tribunal against the order by the Competition Commission of India.