Non-allocation of funds for purchasing raw materials and jute is the main problem behind the present condition of mills, speakers including lawmakers and political leaders irrespective of parties said at a meeting held here on Friday.

A meeting was held at the Dainik Purbanchal Dialogue Centre to exchange views on how to resume production in closed jute mills in greater Khulna region.

The view-exchange meeting was presided over by president of Jute Industry Protection Liaison Committee Kazi Wahiduzzaman. The discussants included Whip Ashraf Hossain, Khulna city Mayor Shaikh Tayebur Rahman, lawmakers Ali Asgar Lobi, M Nurul Islam of BNP, Khulna city Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Mia Golam Parwar MP, Babu Panchanon Biswas MP, Editor of Dainik Purbanchal Liaquat Ali, Khulna district Awami League President Harun-ar-Rashid, Khulna Press Club President Shaikh Abu Hasan, Khulna Bar Association President Abdullah Hossain, Swapan Guha, Chief Executive of Rupantar and NGO, Secretary General of Khulna Development Action Co-ordination Committee Md Ashrafuzzaman, advocate Syeda Sabiha Manju, eminent columnist Anowarul Kadir and Ward Commissioner Ruma Khatun.

Corruption in jute purchase, inconsistency between price of jute fixed by BJMC and price in local market are two other main reasons for failure in purchase of targeted raw jute and production by the mills, it was observed.

The speakers said jute mills are on verge of extinction due to absence of a good policy, malpractice in marketing and frequent labour unrest.

Overstaffed administration, graft, bureaucratic tangle, recruitment of unskilled labour and lack of accountability ahave added to the manifold problems in the way of uninterrupted production in the jute mills, they said.

They urged the government to change its jute policy. Each mill should be turned into a self-sufficient unit instead of maintaining an 'ineffective corporation like BJMC', they said.

Most of the speakers at the meeting urged members of parliament from greater Khulna to raise the issue in the Jatiya Sangsad and take it up with the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister immediately.