Textiles, food ministries spar over plastic bags purchase

The Union ministries of food & textiles are at loggerheads over procurement of plastic bags to pack food grains.

Coming to the rescue of the jute mills, the textiles ministry has asked the food ministry to cancel a tender issued by the Punjab government to procure 29 million plastic bags valued at Rs 75 crore as replacement for jute bags, citing that it is against the decision of the Union Cabinet and notification of the textiles ministry.

The food ministry had backed the Punjab government to purchase 29 million plastic bags after a large consignment of 'defective' 30 kg jutebags supplied by some jute mills of Kolkata got rejected. Punjab had recently floated a tender to procure the bags for packing wheat in the current agriculture season. On an earlier occasion, the food ministry had overestimated production in Kharif 2013-14 and purchased 700,000 bales o fplastic bags. Around 500,000 bales are rotting in the warehouses blocking government funds of around Rs 200 crore on which the textiles ministry had sought an explanation.

As per the textile ministry, plastic bags can only be purchased when there are shortages or disruptions in supply of jute bags or in a case of an emergency. However, in case of Punjab government, neither of the two had happened.

The Cabinet had decided to pack a minimum of 90% food grains and 20% sugar in jute bags in 2013-14. The textile ministry said mandatory jute packing norms can be relaxed only after consulting the user ministry. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is expected to issue licence for the new 30 kg jute bags soon.

Underthe National Food Security Mission (NFSM), food grains are to be packed in 30 kg bags. The jute industry is yet to develop perfectspecifications for the new type of bags. Until now, food grain andsugar used to be packed and supplied in 50 kg bags weighing 665 grams.

The30 kg bags are lighter and easier to handle. The problem cropped up when some jute mills supplied defective 30 kg bags with wrong specifications. The industry is now trying to save its face by consulting expert jute research associations and develop the bags.