A delegation comprising T Nandkumar, joint secretary, Union ministry of textiles and Ajit Kumar, director, ministry of textiles was in town yesterday to evaluate the activities of the Indian Jute Industries' Research Association (IJIRA).
Industry sources however feel that recent allegations of money laundering is one of the prime reasons behind this visit. The Indian Jute Industries' Research Association Employees' Union (IJIRAEU) infact, has been quite vocal about it. According to them, lack of monitoring on the part of the textile ministry has led to gross misuse of government grants and abuse of power.
The issue apparently was also brought to notice of the chief minister of West Bengal, Jyoti Basu who had also written to the textile minister seeking intervention.
More From This Section
Other factors in line are increased imports from Bangladesh which, sources allege is, partly due to the scattered activities of the various research organisations.
The union has also accused the organisation of dismantling many departments of the existing research and development (R&D) infrastructure.
Many high-cost equipment have also been disposed of without obtaining obligatory permission of the government.
The Indian Jute Mills Associations on the other hand had been wanting for a long time, the formation of a jute board. According to them, the role of support organsations like JMDC and NCJD need to be reviewed and also urge the need for greater co-ordination among research and development (R&D) institutions such as the Indian Jute Industries' Research Association, CRIFJA and NIRJAFT.
The Indian Jute Industries' Research Association is being almost totally funded (99.5 per cent) by and is under the administrative control of the ministry of textiles, government of India.
Among the ministry of textiles officials, the jute commissioner is the only permanent member and the joint secretary (jute) is the nominee of the ministry of textiles in the council of management, the highest policy making body of the Indian Jute Industries' Research Association .
The jute commissioner is also a member of the finance and executive committee of the Indian Jute Industries' Research Association .