(a) the details of steps taken so far to open the closed jute mills in the country;
(b) the number of employees lost their livelihood due to closure of jute mills in the country, State-wise:
(c) whether the textile industry is showing signs of recovery: and
(d) if so, the details thereof and the present status of export from textile sector?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES
(SHRI AJAY TAMTA)
(a)& (b): Government has been taking a large number of measures for supporting the jute manufacturing units and for strengthening the jute sector. These include:-
(i) To ensure consistent demand for jute mills, under the Jute Packaging Materials (Compulsory Use in Packing Commodities) [JPM Act], 1987, Government specifies the commodities and the extent to which they are mandatorily required to be packed in Jute Packaging Materials. At present, a minimum of 90% of food grains and a minimum of 20% of sugar are to be compulsorily packed in jute sacking. On an average, the annual Government support to jute industry on this account amounts to Rs. 6500 crores.
(ii) Whenever the market price of raw jute falls below a certain level, the Jute Corporation of India (JCI) procures raw jute at Minimum Support Price (MSP), fixed on the basis of recommendation of the commission for Agricultural Cost and Prices (CACP) from jute growers to safeguard their interest. Government of India has sanctioned Rs. 204 crores for four years starting 2014-15 to enable JCI to be in readiness for MSP operations.Further, a fund of Rs.100 crores has been approved for 2018-19 and 2019-20.
(iii) Incentive Scheme for Acquisition of Plants and Machinery (ISAPM): Government of India has launched ISAPM for Jute Industry and Jute Diversified Products Manufacturing Units, with effect from 1st October 2013. The basic aim of this scheme is to facilitate modernization in existing and new jute mills and up- gradation of technology in existing jute mills and to provide assistance to a large number of entrepreneurs to manufacture value added biodegradable Jute Diversified Products (JDP) as well as for modernization and up-gradation of technology.
(iv) Jute-ICARE (Jute: Improved Cultivation and Advanced Retting Exercise): This pilot project launched in 2015 is aimed at addressing the difficulties faced by the jute cultivators by providing them certified seeds at subsidized rates, seed drills to facilitate line sowing, nail-weeders to carry out periodic weeding and by popularising several newly developed retting technologies under water limiting conditions. This has resulted in increased returns to jute farmers.
(v) The National Jute Board implements various schemes for market development, workers welfare, promotion of diversification and exports.
(vi) The Government issued a notification on 5th January, 2017 imposing Definitive Anti-Dumping Duty on jute goods originating from Bangladesh and Nepal. Based on the current level of imports, the Industry has estimated that this has created scope forupto 2 lakh MT of additional demand for jute goods to be met by the Indian Jute industry.
Most of the Jute Mills are under Private Management. Closing and reopening of jute mills is a cyclical process which depends on various factors of production such as low productivity, trade unionism, raw material supply, fall in demand etc. The detail of loss of livelihood due to closure of mills is not compiled.
(c) & (d): The performance of textile sector in terms of production of yarn/fabric and export of textiles items during the past three years has been as follows:
Item 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18(Prov.)
Spun Yarn (Mn Kg) 5665 5659 5668
Man-made fibre (Mn Kg) 1347 1364 1319
Man-made filament yarn (Mn Kg) 1164 1159 1187
Cloth Production (Mn Sq. Mtr) 65505 64421 67488
Export of textile items (Mn US $) 36748 36630 36620
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