Jute Manufacturers Urge Pm To Continue Jute Packaging Act

Jute manufacturers have launched a counter-offensive against the move to scuttle the statutory requirements on use of jute bags by the cement and other industries.

The Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA) and trade union leaders yesterday met with Prime Minister I K Gujral to press for the continuance of the Jute Packaging Materials (Compulsory Use in Packing Commodities) Act, 1987.

The Act provides for compulsory use of jute bags for half of the packaging of cement, sugar, fertiliser and grain.

The leaders have impressed upon Gujral that the industry needs to be protected as 40 lakh families grow jute in the eastern region and about three crore people depend on it for livelihood.

 

In a memorandum to the Prime Minister, the leaders stated that the cement industry, after an abortive attempt to declare the Act illegal in the Supreme Court, had launched a publicity campaign against the use of jute.

They argue that there is no basis of the claim that synthetic bags cause less seepage than jute bags, where seepage losses is said to be about 4.5 per cent higher. Both jute and synthetic bags are woven in a manner that permits moisture absorption, they maintained.

Quoting National Council for Cement & Building Materials, the leaders dismissed criticisms that the jute industry incurred losses of Rs 900 crore and said difference in terms of seepage between the two types of bags is only 0.4 per cent.

The delegation was led by state minister Md Amin and included Indian Jute Mills Association chairman, G M Singhvi Niren Ghosh of CITU and Subrata Mukherjee of INTUC.