CPI(M) demands stop to duty free import of jute sacks

NEW DELHI: CPI(M) today demanded stopping of duty-free import of jute sacks from Bangladesh through anti- dumping measures and asked the government not to phase out the law which provides for compulsory use of jute packaging of certain commodities.

Terming as "shocking" a reported move to phase out the Packaging Materials Act 1987, the party's Rajya Sabha MP Tapan Sen shot off a letter to Textile Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar demanding that the government should reconsider any such decision.

Claiming that a decision to do away with Act was reportedly taken in a meeting of Group of Officers on October 16, he said, it would "have destructive impact on the jute industry in the country spread over five states, affecting not only around four lakh plus workers in the industry but also around 30 lakh jute growers and their families."

"I would also request you to please intervene to see that duty-free import of jute sacks from Bangladesh (around 1.45 lakh tones annually) is stopped through appropriate anti-dumping measure as the said import is subsidised by the concerned Government," Sen said.

The CPI(M) MP said the reality on ground in the jute sector has been totally ignored while taking such decision and the major beneficiary or the only beneficiary was going to be the packaging lobby using synthetic bags.

"...the reality on ground in the jute sector has been totally ignored while taking such decision and the major beneficiary, rather the only beneficiary to such decision is going to be the synthetic packaging lobby, both domestic and majorly foreign, whose contribution to employment and the economy is insignificant compared to the labour intensive jute industry," Sen said.

"I urge upon you to seriously review and reconsider such decision which is going have destructive impact on the jute industry in the country spread over five states, affecting not only around four lakh plus workers in the industry but also around 30 lakh jute growers and their families," he said.