The West Bengal government is planning to begin crackdown on traders and mills hoarding raw jute.
The government has decided to begin a crackdown soon as mill owners have complained that core problem to closure of mills was raw jute hoarding, sources told PTI.
Jute mills had sent a joint petition to state Labour Minister Maloy Ghatak last week, raising concerns of raw jute crisis.
"The state government will also take up the ban of raw jute exports by Bangladesh to ease the supply constraints," sources said, adding that it will also monitor the activities of the jute sector on a weekly basis.
However, Ghatak did not comment on the matter.
Raw jute prices have shot up by more than 40 per cent in the past one month making mills unviable including government supplies.
A high-level meeting was held today between representatives from state government and jute industry to access the raw jute crisis for the mills, leading to closure and loss of jobs, sources said.
