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Rana assures help for jute sector

Our Bureau

NEW DELHI, Aug. 24

AMID a CPI(M) walkout for the unsatisfactory response to a motion on the problems plaguing the jute industry, the Textile Minister, Mr Kashiram Rana, said the Government had taken all steps to ensure that the industry was not put to any difficulty.

The calling attention motion was made by Mr Basudev Acharya, Mr Rupchand Pal and Mr Hannan Mollah of the CPI(M), who charged the Government with diluting the implementation of the Jute Packaging Materials (Compulsory Use in Packing Commodities) Act, 1987 , and the Jute Corporation of India (JCI) of not procuring adequate raw jute from farmers.

They also accused the Government of delaying the recovery package for the ailing National Jute Manufacturers Corporation. The stakes in the corporation's recovery were high, involving the direct employment of 2.50 lakh workers and four million jute growe rs.

Earlier in a statement, the Minister said the production of raw jute was estimated at 94 lakh bales for the jute year 2000-01 and at 100 lakh bales for 2001-02. The minimum support price for TD5/ex-Assam in 2000-01 was Rs 785 per quintal, which has been increased to Rs 810 per quintal for the current year.

In 2000-01, JCI, through its 171 centres and with the support of 50 co-operative societies, purchased 4.62 lakh bales of raw jute, the highest in the last three years.

Mr Rana said the price of raw jute was ruling well above the MSP from October 2000, touching a high of Rs 1,450 per quintal in June this year. He said JCI would intervene as and when prices fall below the MSP.

On the compulsory jute packaging order, he said the provisions of the Act have been modified to accommodate the rising demands of foodgrains and the sugar industry, which witnessed a sharp rise in production.

The Government has been maintaining a balance between the interests of the jute farmers, jute industry workers, producers of sugar and foodgrains, and the consumers while deciding the extent of compulsory packaging under the Act. He strongly denied any p ressure from the ``synthetic lobby'' as alleged by members.

In order to render the jute sector more competitive, the Government was committed to launching a Technology Mission on Jute as envisaged in the National Textile Policy 2000. He said the mission's objectives were to increase productivity and diversify the use of this eco-friendly fibre.

However, CPI(M) members felt this response was not satisfactory and trooped out of the House in protest.