Kolkata, Aug 5 (PTI) Urging mills to meet the supply of jute bags for packing food grains in the ongoing kharif season, the Jute Commissioner's office said the shortfall in supply of gunny bags remained 16.9 per cent in July.

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Millers were supposed to supply 3.2 lakh bales of gunny bags till July but only 2.66 lakh bales were inspected and passed, the regulator of the industry said.

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The Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA) had committed 15 lakh bales till November to the government and food distribution agencies to help meet the packaging requirement for food grains.

The Jute Commsioner's office (JCO) that places orders and coordinates supplies with the government, said it has already issued orders for 3.58 lakh bales.

The JCO has also intimated the order commitment of 3.05 lakh bales in August, 3.30 lakh bales in September, 2.7 lakh bales in October and 2.75 lakh bales in November which is based on the requirements of the state government and the Food Corporation of India.

The government had asked the mills, not just to meet the August demand, but also to fulfill the shortfall of the previous months.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal government and the jute mills jointly are going to impart training to 4,000 people, with a stipend for 90 days, to overcome a shortage of workers in the industry.

The state government in association with the mills organised jute I-Care programmes in the districts to educate farmers on growing more and quality raw jute for enhancing their income. Labour Minister Becharam Manna was in Haripal on Wednesday to kick-start the I-Care project there. The state, in consultation with IJMA, will provide training for 90 days in two phases of 45 days each.

Initially, the project intends to train 4,000 people for jute mills.

The government had said special drives should be made in Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, Midnapore, Murshaidabad and Paschim Bardhaman districts to select healthy people in the age group of 18-40 years, preferably school dropouts, for the programme.

The trainees will get Rs 200 per day for the first 45 days and Rs 250 daily for remaining days of the training.

The state government initiated the project in the wake of complaints by jute mills about shortage of workers in the industry.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)