Two more Bengal jute mills suspend work

A day after Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi vowed to raise concerns of West Bengal jute mill workers in parliament, two more factories in Hooghly district on Sunday announced suspension of work, rendering scores of workers jobless.

Citing "non-conducive environment", "surplus labour" and "lack of demand", the Northbrook Jute Mill in Bharadeswar and Murlidhar Jute Mill in Sreerampore, announced suspension of work during the day.

The workers claimed that the mill owners announced the suspension of work without giving them any prior information.

In the wake of over a dozen jute mills in the state announcing suspension of work leaving thousands of workers jobless, Gandhi, during a day's visit on Saturday, talked to nearly 200 mill workers in Hooghly district and also visited some of their homes.

"Promises have been made and broken. I had come here to talk to jute mill workers. I will raise the issue in parliament," he had said after meeting the workers at the Wellington Jute Mill compound in Rishara.

In June last year North Brook's chief executive officer H.K. Maheswari was beaten to death by agitating factory workers.