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Bengal

State hints at action against jute traders if supply not streamlined

State hints at action against jute traders if supply not streamlined
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Kolkata: The state government on Monday hinted at action against the jute traders if supply is not streamlined.

The Group of Minister's (GOM) meeting chaired by state Finance minister Amit Mitra on Monday decided that the government will fix a fair price for raw jute based on the state Agriculture

department's analysis at the third meeting slated at the end of this month.

"We will come out with a fixed fair price for raw jute following all necessary procedures," said a senior official of the state government who was present at the GOM. According to the official, the issue needs to be addressed quickly as disruptions in supply of raw jute continue to plague mills and gunny bag manufacturing.

It is apprehended that this could have an impact on crop packaging of Rabi harvest in the country.

Sources in the office of the Jute Commissioner (JC) said that the traders have applied with the regulator for the extension to dilute stock that is now fixed at

500 quintal.

The jute balers had taken the legal route following which the Calcutta High Court in a recent order had asked the JC to consider extension to abide with the stock limit order issued by them. However, JC may take

any action against the errant raw jute hoarders after the deadline.

Incidentally Monday was the last day for application, as per the Court's directive and some applications reached the JC office in the evening from the raw jute traders for extension. "We are looking into these applications, " a senior official in the JC office said.

It is estimated that some 20 lakh bales of raw jute is still being hoarded and mill supply was at about 50 per cent of their requirements.

Apart from GOM members that includes some important cabinet ministers, Indian Jute Mills Association's former and present chairman Sanjay Kajaria and Raghavendra Gupta and representatives from JC and Jute Balers

Association attended the meeting.

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