Kolkata, May 24 (PTI) The West Bengal government on Monday held a meeting with representatives of the management and labour union of some of the recently closed jute mills to find out how to reopen them, a labour department official said.

Over a dozen jute mills have suspended operations due to a growing scarcity of raw material and shortage of labourers arising out of restrictions imposed by the state government to contain the spread of COVID-19, rendering 50,000 odd workers jobless.

The official said that Labour Secretary Barun Ray and other officers held a virtual meeting with officials and union leaders of Howrah Jute Mill, Shibpur Bharat Jute Mill, Naihati Jute Mill and Prabartak Jute Mill.

Sources in the industry said that raw jute crisis and high operating cost are turning operations unviable.

Mills are also facing the problem of manpower shortage as the state government has allowed only 30 per cent workforce in each shift as part of several restrictions imposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Indian Jute Mills Association has urged the government to relax the 30 per cent workforce norm.

Government officials said that they are trying to find a solution.

(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)