Govt urged to purchase jute from farmers
Staff Correspondent
Leaders of the Shilpa-Shramik-Karmachari Rokkha Samannay Parishad, an organisation working for jute and textile mills workers, yesterday demanded of the government to purchase raw jute from the farmers in due time to run the state-owned 22 jute mills smoothly.They urged the government to allocate TK 300 crore for the state-owned jute and textile mills and pay arrears of Tk 56 crore to 80,000 workers, which has been due for more than six months. Jatyia Sramik Federation of Bangladesh President Md Abul Bashar said the government cancelled its decision to close the Star Jute, People Jute and Eastern Jute Mills of Khulna, Kawmi Jute Mills of Sirajganj and Amin Jute mills of Chittagong in the face of strong movement of the workers. He was speaking at a press conference at the Parishad office in the city. He said the government is not taking proper steps to stop mismanagement and corruption in the jute mills as it is again trying to close those mills. The government has not earmarked any allocation in the current budget for the jute mills , he added. Bangladesh Jatyia Sramik Jote President Abdul Kader Hawladar urged the government to invest Tk 300 crore in jute sector to overcome the present crisis that will contribute significantly in the national economy. Parishad leaders Nurul Islam, Abdul Motin Master, Shafi Unddin Ahmed, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury, Lutfar Rahman and Kamrul Ahmed also spoke at the press conference.
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