State urges Centre to direct use of jute bag for food grain packaging

State Labour minister Moloy Ghatak wrote to the Centre urging it to take appropriate measures so that the different state corporation agencies use jute bags for packaging food grains during the Kharif and Rabi seasons. Labour department sources said the JPM Act mandates 00 per cent use of jute bags for foodgrains and 20 per cent for sugar. However, in the case of sugar, plastic bags are being preferred, resulting in reduced orders for jute bags. “Our minister has requested the Union Minister to look into the matter and take steps to curb the use of plastic in sugar packaging,” an official in the state Labour department said. Also Read - TMC: Modi govt admitted in Parl 'no funds given to Bengal' under MGNREGA The minister has also called for timely implementation of production control cum supply order (PCSO), pointing out the jute should be encouraged because of its biodegradable and eco-friendly nature. The minister has stated in his letter that in order to curb the detrimental effects of plastic pollution, 80 odd countries, including neighbouring Bangladesh, have become ‘plastic free’. Ghatak further expressed his apprehension that if the shortage of orders continues then 40 lakh farmers and 3 lakh workers associated with the jute industry will be seeking other livelihood options. In July, in a meeting with jute commissioner Moloy Chandan Chakraborty, the minister raised concerns about the low order volumes for mills and provided a list of mills that are not complying with the tripartite labour agreement regarding labour dues. The shortage of jute bag orders has dipped by around 50 per cent, according to industry sources. Also Read - Seven potato cold storages to come up in North Bengal region The Jute Commissioner also urged the Union Food Supplies ministry and state governments to ramp up jute bag orders for food packaging. “We have provided a list of 14 jute mills to the Jute Commissioner urging him not to place orders with them as they have failed to comply with the latest labour agreement and are not paying wages and other retirement benefits like PF, ESI. I have personally spoken with the jute commissioner on this issue,” Ghatak said. According to the Labour department, these mills are based in North Bengal and Murshidabad and have come up in the last four to five years.
 

Source: Millenniumpost