Jute mill association softens stance against commissioner’s clean-up drive

Caught in cleft-stick Indian Jute Mills Association, the mill-owning body, has decided to take a hands-off policy against the jute commissioner Subrata Gupta and his office’s current drive against jute mills ignoring the majority industry view that it is high-handed and authoritative. 

Suggestions to hold discussions to soften the jute commissioner or lead a delegation to him to come 

to terms were also shot down. 

The association recently felled a divided house at its emergency meeting with most members raising voices against Gupta’s action. However office bearer’s of the association decided to keep away from war-path fearing his further wrath. Earlier the issue was discussed in the meeting of the state jute group of ministers who also expressed concern at the turn of events.  

In a virtual broad side Gupta and his officers have launched an operation clean against the industry and had filed a number of F.I.R’s against jute mills that they suspect were allegedly trying to dupe the government and state food bodies by supplying poor quality bags and has therefore cancelled orders on long-term basis. On a number of occasions Gupta’s office is also withdrawing temporary reliefs and reversing orders given to jute mills to catch them on the wrong foot.  

Northbrook Jute, a non-IJMA mill has already moved court against the jute commissioner and many more mills are planning to follow it. Gupta’s office has stopped government orders to Northbrook for one year on a technical issue. In 2013, the CEO of Northbrook was lynched inside his office by irate workers. It has around 5000 workers. Lack of orders might force Northbrook to close down and create law and order problems. IJMA refused to carry Northbrook bogey as it was not its member. However, most members felt that it should have been done in the cause of industry.

Gupta’s office, meanwhile, is already saddled with a huge number of court cases filed by quite a number of mills against which he is taking periodic and concrete action based on alleged fraud and suspicion.