Kolkata:
West Bengal Labour Minister Beecharam Manna has urged closed jute mills to reopen by this month, exuding confidence that state government measures would ensure raw material availability.
Sources said the minister has been holding regular meetings with trade unions and mill managements.
On Thursday, Manna met officials of Delta Jute Mill and Hanuman Jute Mill (Howrah), North Brook (Hooghly) and E M Company (Titagarh), asking them to try and reopen the mills by the last week of June, they said.
Over a dozen mills in the state have shut down owing to shortage of raw jute and high prices.
Around 12,000 workers are employed in these mills, the sources said.
Manna had also urged the jute commissioner to take steps to curb hoarding of raw jute.
The jute commissioner had subsequently called for “zero raw jute holding”, applicable for those not engaged in jute bag production.
