The Trinamool Congress may benefit from instability in the jute industry in West Bengal, a major producer of the golden fibre, due to lower government demand for jute bags compared to annual projections. This instability has led to curtailment of the labour force in mills, which may impact the BJP’s poll fortune in the jute belt, according to industry stakeholders.Despite the Centre’s efforts to support the sector, such as increasing the minimum support price for raw material and maintaining the 100% food grain packaging norm in jute bags, the temporary order crisis ahead of the elections may give an edge to the TMC. The ruling party in the state is using the wage revision by mills in January as a poll plank to secure support among labourers.The jute industry in Bengal directly employs around 2.5 lakh workers, while 40 lakh farmers are engaged in producing raw material. Political parties are actively reaching out to these communities in the jute belt, which spans several Lok Sabha constituencies in Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, and Howrah districts.Indian Jute Mills Association chairman Raghav Gupta explained, “Mills have already started curtailing production by 10-15 per cent, and this is expected to worsen further to 20-25 per cent. Some units are operating four to five days a week to match output with actual demand. Mills produce jute bags based on projections. In the current Rabi crop season, the government procurement for jute bags for food grains has been lower by 3.5 lakh bales as compared to projections given by the government at the beginning of the season.”Apart from production cuts, there are reports of mill closures, primarily due to a lack of government demand for jute bags. One such example is the Syamnuggur Jute Factory in Hooghly, which recently issued a suspension of work notice, citing labour-related problems, leaving hundreds of workers jobless.An industry veteran, who wished to remain anonymous, noted that while the BJP-led NDA government has been working to improve the sector and has held stakeholder meetings for a five-year rejuvenation roadmap, this may not translate into votes for the saffron party in the upcoming election. The disruption in mill operations and labour cuts has become a pressing issue.Arjun Singh, seeking re-election from the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket, blamed a section of mill owners for the ongoing crisis, stating, “The jute bag procurement crisis is due to some unscrupulous mills, which illegally procure Bangladeshi raw jute and use old sacking bags. I have written to the government, and except that the problem may get sorted out in a week.”Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) functionary Binod Singh claimed that most mill workers support the BJP and will vote for the saffron camp, as they believe the NDA government at the Centre is keen to address their issues. However, he questioned the mills’ decision to curtail production despite the Centre providing more orders.TMC MP Abu Taher Khan from Murshidabad, known for raw jute cultivation, highlighted the state government’s efforts to support the industry, including a new wage agreement for mill workers and crop insurance. He claimed that the Centre is neglecting the sector, and the issue of low raw material prices is part of the party’s campaign.The CPI(M)’s trade union arm, CITU, is also highlighting the inaction by both the Centre and the state government in the jute sector and its adverse impact on labourers.The jute belt of Bengal comprises over 130 assembly seats, of which the BJP won only 49 in 2021, while the TMC secured the remaining seats.
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