August 7, 2014
Dinesh Trivedi raises the issue of ailing jute industry in Lok Sabha
Trinamool MP Dinesh Trivedi today raisedthe issue of deteriorating jute mills in West Bengal in the Lok Sabha. Speakingon the issue, he said that the jute industry employs two lakh fifteen thousandpeople and accounts for nearly 79.57% of production in the country.
“The Ministry of Textiles states that itprovides MSP to encourage jute farming. However the fact is, for the last 12years beginning 2001 to 2012-13, the production of jute in West Bengal has gonedown nearly 7%” he said.
The present price system does not supportthe jute farmers, he said. “Under the Jute Packaging Materials (Compulsory Useof Packing Commodities) Act 1987, the Government of India has consistentlyreduced the mandatory provisions from 100% for food grains and sugar in 2011-12to 90% and 20% respectively in 2013-14 citing inadequate supply” Mr Trivedicomplained.
He requested theGovt to change the provisions under JPM Act, 1987 for mandatory jute packagingfor food grains and sugar to 100%.
Full Transcript of his speech:
Sir, I wouldlike to draw your kind attention of the Government through you towards thedeteriorating conditions of Jute Industry in West Bengal. Importance of Jute Industry in my statecannot be stressed enough Sir as it employs two lakh fifteen thousand peopleand accounts for nearly 79.57% of production in the country.
The Ministry ofTextiles states that it provides MSP to encourage jute farming. However thefact is, for the last 12 years beginning 2001 to 2012-13, the production of jutein West Bengal has gone down nearly 7%, Sir.
The presentprice system does not support the jute farmers. The jute mills in West Bengal are in dire state. 5 units of NationalJute Corporation Ltd and others had been declared sick during the last 10 yearsthough three of them are now part of the revival scheme. They continue to function with a lot oflosses.
Under the Jute PackagingMaterials (Compulsory Use of Packing Commodities) Act 1987, the Government ofIndia has consistently reduced the mandatory provisions from 100% for foodgrains and sugar in 2011-12 to 90% and 20% respectively in 2013-14 citinginadequate supply. 10 mills have shut down in West Bengal beginning 2010-11 to2012-13 and newspapers report that six more mills have shut in the last twomonths.
I request theGovernment to urgently look into this matter in order to support jute farmers,jute mills and prevent large scale unemployment. For this I request you to change theprovisions under JPM Act, 1987 for mandatory jute packaging for food grains andsugar to 100%.
