The Hindu Business Line : Centre flayed for not merging jute bodies

Recommendations
The committee said that at least two experts from the field of jute technology and allied fields should be included in the board.
The committee also plumped for roping two members of Lok Sabha and one member of Rajya Sabha to the Board.

New Delhi , Nov. 25

The Standing Parliamentary Committee on Labour has criticised the Ministry of Textiles for not advancing any convincing reasons in not merging various organisations engaged in the jute sector in the proposed National Jute Board (NJB) so as to ensure integrated development of the sector.

In its report on the National Jute Board Bill, 2006, the Committee headed by Mr S. Sudhakar Reddy, said that currently seven organisations of the Ministry of Textiles and three organisations of the Ministry of Agriculture were engaged in jute sector. But it is proposed to merge only two organisations, viz., the Jute Manufactures Development Council (JMDC) and the National Centre for Jute Diversification (NCJD).

On the merger of other organisations in the sector such as Jute Corporation of India, Office of the Jute Commissioner, the Government has said these organisations were performing their assigned duties effectively and that their merger at this stage would create legal and administrative hassles and such a behemoth would lose focus on its assigned duties. "The reasons put forth by the Ministry of Textiles for not merging various organisations engaged in the jute sector in the proposed NJB is not acceptable," the committee said adding that the goals of the Bill, i.e., formation of an umbrella body for the entire jute sector could only be achieved by bringing in all the constituents under one roof.

Hence, it recommends that the National Jute Board be established by merging various organisations engaged in the jute sector for the integrated and effective development of the industry.

The committee also noted that in the Bill, provisions have been made to include representatives of manufacturers of both the organised and the decentralised sectors and exporters, but the interests of jute farmers and jute workers have been ignored.

Taking a serious view of this "lapse", the committee favoured that three of representatives of farmers, one from West Bengal and two from other States on rotational basis and three representatives of workers, one from West Bengal and two from other States on rotational basis, should be included in the NJB.

It also criticised the Bill for its failure to include experts from jute technology and related fields and said that at least two experts from the field of jute technology and allied fields should be included in the board.

The committee also plumped for roping in three representatives from Parliament i.e., two members of Lok Sabha and one member of Rajya Sabha to the Board since participation of people's representatives would help various sections of the jute sector to air their grievances in the board and to arrive at decisions which would result in the overall development of the sector.