Jute Bill upsets JCI staff

With the Union textiles ministry likely to place the proposal to constitute a National Jute Board in the ongoing Parliamentary session, the employees of the Jute Corporation of India (JCI) have threatened to go in for a "strong agitation" against the move.

The draft proposal, to be placed this session, is likely to include only Jute Manufactures Development Council (JMDC) and National Centre for Jute Diversification (NCJD) under the National Jute Board.

JCI had been seeking its merger in the proposed board in order to avoid multiplicity of activities of different jute-related administrative bodies.

"The move would terminate the functions of JCI. Since 1991, there has been not recruitment at the JCI, particularly at the senior level. The employee strength since then has come down from 2,700 to 1,100 at present. All the employees, including the officers are in favour of JCI's inclusion in the National Jute Board," said sources in the JCI employees union.

The National Jute Board Bill, 2006, had projected the National Jute Board as the central body to coordinate the operations in the jute sector, like jute development, cultivation, imports and exports, replacing NCJD and JMDC.

The bill lists 21 functions the board can undertake with relation to jute development. The standing Parliamentary committee on labour had flayed the Bill for not including all the stakeholders of the jute industry, including the JCI, under the jute board.

According to sources, the National Jute Board Bill would be placed in its original form in the Parliament, as the Cabinet had not accepted the proposals of the standing committee.

At present, JCI was the official agency for stabilization operations in raw jute trade, and in charge of procuring raw jute at minimum support prices.