Major steel manufacturers in the country on Friday raised steel prices for the third time since January - a move that is poised to result in consumer durable products becoming more expensive.

Steel producers like Steel Authority of India, Ispat Industries Ltd and Essar Steel on Friday raised prices of their products by Rs 2,000-2,500 a tonne citing rise in input cost.

Another steel maker JSW Steel raised both flat and long product prices by 5-7 percent and said that it would review the price structure in mid-April to ascertain whether there is a need to increase prices again in May.

This is the third time in 2010 that the steel manufacturers have raised steel prices - in January by Rs. 1500 per tonne on the back of rising international steel prices, in March by Rs. 600 per tonne after increase in excise duty announced in the Budget.

Earlier, in September last year, steel prices also rose by Rs. 2000 per tonne on flat products.

The government, however, termed the recent rise in steel prices by SAIL, JSW and Essar Steel as a "temporary phenomena" and said there is no inflationary concern at present because of the hike.

"There has been a spurt in steel prices in the domestic market recently but it is a temporary phenomenon and at present there is no inflationary concern," Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh said in New elhi on Friday.

However, the Minister cautioned that measures would be taken to control prices if they rise abnormally.