National Jute Board shuts offices in Hyderabad, Chennai

In a quite unexpected move, the union Textiles Ministry has merged the regional offices of the National Jute Board at Chennai and Hyderabad with its head office at Kolkata.

Hyderabad: In a quite unexpected move, the union Textiles Ministry has merged the regional offices of the National Jute Board at Chennai and Hyderabad with its head office at Kolkata. The merger will come into force from February 1.

The Ministry of Textiles issued a gazette, as per which the merger of the regional offices of the National Jute Board would see the liabilities and assets, manpower of both the offices transferred to the head office in Kolkata.

The move could hamper the efforts of the State to reduce its dependence on other States for jute, especially at a time when the State is doing away with plastic and the demand for jute was rising on the back of increasing agriculture produce and procurement in the State. The State has been sourcing gunny bags from West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh paying Rs.49 to Rs.62 per bag. This apart, it spends about Rs 2.50 per unit on transportation. Keeping this in view, the State government has been making efforts to increase the number of jute mills and also to encourage jute cultivation in the State.

The Centre’s move to wind up the National Jute Board’s regional office here at such a juncture, with the NJB being the nodal agency for promotion of jute and jute products, has come as a blow for the State’s efforts.