One lakh workers jobless as Bengal jute crisis worsens

21 Nov '15

2 min read

About one lakh workers have been rendered jobless in West Bengal as the raw jute crisis continues to snowball. The jute sector offers employment to about 2.5 lakh people in the state.

In a joint representation to West Bengal Labour Minister Malay Ghatak, mill owners said that so far a dozen jute mills have closed down that has left one lakh workers jobless. The letter also pointed out that while a large number of mills have been forced to curtail production, they have been saddled with surplus workers, according to an agency report.

Mill owners complained that the Jute Packaging Material (Compulsory Use in Packing Commodities) Act, 1987 (JPM Act, 1987), designed to save workers and the farmers, has not served its purpose.

The Ministry of Textiles has diluted the mandatory jute packaging material in wake of lower supply by the jute mills owing to raw jute shortage.

The mill owners claim one of the main reasons for this is hoarding and speculation in raw jute by a few mills and some unscrupulous stockists and traders.

In the letter, the mill owners also said that that Jute Commissioner's office is yet to launch any anti-hoarding drive under Jute and Jute Textile Control Order 2000. (SH)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India

More Textiles News - India...