Ncjd Opens New Vistas For Jute Diversification
The technical developments resulting out of the UNDP-assisted National Centre for Jute Diversification (NCJD) programme have opened up the possibility of taking up jute diversification by the decentralised sector.
This society, under the ministry of textiles and headed by the jute commissioner Bimal Pande, has undertaken commercialisation of such developments by providing backward and forward linkages to the entrepreneurs.
UNDP has always provided a prop to the Indian jute industry. It has distributed funds worth Rs 70 lakh through Jute Corporation of India (JCI) to West Bengal, Assam, Orissa and Bihar for building rating tanks in these states. Four tanks will be built in West Bengal and one each in the other three states.
With 17 employees and a corpus of $1 million (about Rs 36 crore), NCJD aims to support services for the new entrants in the field of jute diversification. Its activity is mainly in the decentralised sector so that with the advent of jute as new generation products, its demand is alive. Simultaneously the issues of return to farmers, sustainable human development by employment generation and ecology are also addressed.
NCJD provides almost all the required linkage services to the entrepreneurs. About 18 jute service sectors spread over 14 states are providing project information, escort services, HRD and technical support to NGOs and entrepreneurs.
It has introduced the jute assistance scheme which has a provision for interest-free loan with two years moratorium to entrepreneurs in five different categories. It depends upon the product and the project and entails financial support for NGOs. So far assistance amounting to Rs 9.17 crore has been released to the applicants. Total investment generated is to the tune of Rs 52.70 crore.
NCJD has made arrangement for 23 raw material banks spread over 13 states that are now distributing jute yarn, laminated fabrics and dyes to weavers and also jute fibre in some non-jute growing regions.
The society has distributed 2000 tonnes of jute yarn to weavers and artisans through these banks.