Lok Sabha Polls 2024: Jute sector crisis may give edge to TMC in West Bengal

Kolkata: Lower government demand against the annual projections of jute bags resulting in a short-term instability in mills' operations and curtailment of the labour force may cast a shadow on the BJP's poll fortune in the jute belt of West Bengal, a major producer of the golden fibre, industry stakeholders said.

Despite an increase in minimum support price for raw material and no dilution of the norm of 100 per cent food grain packaging in jute bags by the Centre, the temporary order crisis ahead of the elections may give an edge to the TMC in the electoral battle, as the ruling party in the state is making the wage revision by mills in January a poll plank to galvanise support among labourers, they said.

Mills in Bengal directly employ about 2.5 lakh workers, while 40 lakh farmers are engaged in producing the raw material in the state, and political parties are reaching out to them to secure their support in the jute belt comprising parts of several Lok Sabha constituencies in Hooghly, North 24 Parganas and Howrah districts.

Indian Jute Mills Association chairman Raghav Gupta told PTI, "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 closure and the main cause is a lack of government demand for jute bags, he said.

At least one mill, Syamnuggur Jute Factory in Hooghly, has recently issued a suspension of work notice, citing labour-related problems, and hundreds of workers became jobless, an industry veteran said on condition of anonymity.

"Although the BJP-led NDA government has remained steadfast in improving the sector and held a stakeholder meeting for a five-year rejuvenation roadmap, this may not translate into votes for the saffron party in the upcoming election as disruption in mill operations and labour cut has become an issue,” he said.

Traditionally, many workers usually return to their native places for agriculture purposes when they have no jobs in mills, the industry veteran said, adding that “this will not augur well for the BJP as many of them are voters in the labourers’ colony and are supporters of the saffron camp”.

Arjun Singh, who is seeking re-election from the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat in North 24 Parganas on a BJP ticket, blamed a section of mill owners for the ongoing crisis.

"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,” he said.

Singh, who rejoined the TMC after winning the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, returned to the BJP last month as he was denied a ticket from the ruling party in the state. "I am more concerned about the industry rather than vote bank politics," he said.

Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) functionary Binod Singh claimed that 'most of the mill workers are BJP supporters and will vote for the saffron camp as they know the “NDA government at the Centre are keen” to address their issues.

“The Centre is giving more orders. In March 2024, the order flow was 5.58 lakh bales while mills have committed for 4.85 lakh bales. Why mills are curtailing production this year? They should meet the government demand," he claimed.

In 2019, the BJP secured Barrackpore and Hooghly Lok Sabha constituencies where the presence of jute mills is on the higher side, while the TMC bagged seats in regions having a significant concentration of jute farming.

TMC MP Abu Taher Khan from Murshidabad, known for raw jute cultivation, claimed that the state government has done a lot for the industry, and the issue of low prices of the raw material is part of the party’s campaign.

“In January, the TMC government concluded a new wage agreement for mill workers. Their benefits were raised by at least 30 per cent. The state government is also providing crop insurance, while the Centre is neglecting the sector,” said Khan, who is seeking re-election from the seat.

CPI(M) trade union arm CITU general secretary Tapan Kr Sen said the party is highlighting inactions by the Centre and the state government in the jute sector, and how it is adversely impacting labourers.

Notably, the jute belt of Bengal comprises over 130-odd assembly seats, of which BJP had won only 49 in 2021, while the remaining seats went to the TMC.