(a) Whether the government had set up a special jute development fund for the revival and integrated development of the jute industry;
(b) If so, the details thereof;
(c) Whether the amount released from the SJD Fund to the Jute Corporation of India for disbursement of subsidy to state level cooperative procurement agencies was lying unutilized;
(d) If so, quantum thereof during the last two years; and
(e) The steps taken by the government to utilize the unutilized fund?
MINISTER OF TEXTILES ( SHRI SHANKERSINH VAGHELA )
(a) & (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 236 FOR ANSWER ON 18.03.2005 RAISED BY SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO REGARDING SPECIAL JUTE DEVELOPMENT FUND.
(a) & (b) Yes, Sir. Government had set up a Special Jute Development Fund (SJDF) on 17th December’ 1986 with a corpus of Rs. 100 crores for the integrated development of the jute sector. The aim of the Fund was the holistic development of the jute sector by providing financial support through various schemes for improving the productivity of raw jute and jute goods, development of indigenous machinery, and research & development for product diversification, and ensuring a better market for them. After the IXth Plan, the allocation under the SJDF is made in the Annual Plan, depending on the requirement under various projects. The allocation under the SJDF and the Jute Technology Mission for the Xth Plan is Rs. 40 crores.
(c) No Sir. However, the Government had provided Rs. 2 crores to the Jute Corporation of India (JCI) for creating infrastructural facilities in jute growing areas under the Special Jute Development Fund in the year 1987-88. JCI, in turn, released Rs. 83.44 lakhs to the Apex Cooperative Societies of jute growing states. There was inadequate requisition of funds by the Apex Cooperative Societies for fresh projects, and JCI returned the unutilized funds, along with interest, amounting to Rs. 152.98 lakhs, to the Government of India, in the year 2001-02.
(d) & (e) Does not arise.