The jute mills in West Bengal,which were anxiously awaiting to resume operations on Monday to meet the huge pending order for packaging materials, could not start functioning as they did not receive any official communication from the state government, industry sources said.India Jute Mills Association (IJMA) said around 60 units in West Bengal, most of which are located in North 24 Parganas, Kolkata, Hooghly and Howrah districts, are awaiting official communication from the state government for restarting operations.Officials of state government did not respond on the issue when contacted.The Centre has been urging the state government to allow the jute mills to operate to avert any crisis of packaging materials for foodgrains.The state government on April 15 said all jute mills can reopen but will operate with only 15 per cent of the workforce and in strict adherence to social distancing norms and subject to approvals.However, IJMA president Raghav Gupta said the jute mills are yet to get any official order regarding this.Even as the Centre announced a relaxation of restrictions in certain sectors, virtually no major manufacturing activities resumed in West Bengal.Some units in Falta Special Economic Zone in South 24 Parganas district received permission to start operations but with limited manpower, sources said.A few units in Bantala Leather Complex near Kolkata also got approval to start functioning, they said.Steel TMT bar makers in the state said they do not want to resume operations until construction activities commence as they are saddled with huge stock.According to the guidelines issued by the Centre on April 15, industrial units operating in rural areas have been permitted to function from April 20 with strict social distancing norms.Manufacturing, industrial units with access control in SEZs, Export Oriented Units, industrial estates, industrial townships have been allowed. However, it will not apply in containment zones, as demarcated by States/ UTs/ district administrations.
