Bengal Minister Urges Centre on Jute Bag Pricing for Puja Bonus

Kolkata, Sep 13 (PTI) West Bengal Labour Minister Arjun Singh has sought the intervention of Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh to resolve issues concerning the pricing of B Twill jute bags, saying the matter has a direct bearing on the ability of jute mills to meet wages and puja bonus obligations of workers.

In a recent letter, he urged the Centre to review and re-notify the price of B Twill jute bags for August 2026 in accordance with the Tariff Commission formula approved by the Union Cabinet in August 2024.

He said the price notified by the Office of the Jute Commissioner did not correspond to the approved formula and failed to adequately reflect the raw jute procurement costs incurred by mills.

He requested that the differential amount be adjusted for supplies already made.

The West Bengal Labour minister also raised the issue of production control and supply orders (PCSOs) placed in July, saying the orders were issued late in the month and mills faced operational difficulties in completing manufacturing and inspection within the stipulated period.

Although the delivery deadline was subsequently extended, the lower August rate was applied to quantities covered by the July orders, resulting in a substantial financial impact on mills, he said.


The Bengal minister requested that the July 2026 rate be applied to July PCSO quantities where inspection was completed within a reasonable period necessitated by the late placement of orders, including consignments inspected on or before August 7.

He also proposed that a minimum manufacturing and inspection window of 30 days be prescribed from the date of placement of a PCSO, with the rate applicable in the month of order placement continuing to apply if delivery is extended because of delayed orders.

The Bengal Labour minister said an early resolution of the pricing issues would provide immediate relief to jute mills and help them discharge their obligations towards workers.

He also sought an early meeting involving officials of the Ministry of Textiles, Jute Commissioner, state Labour Department and industry representatives to resolve the matter, preferably before puja bonus payments fall due.

"The jute sector has suffered for the past two years, and expectations from the double-engine government are high. We welcome the Labour minister's intervention, but it must now translate into fair pricing and timely payments. With puja approaching, workers and their families need relief, not uncertainty," former IJMA chairman Sanjay Kajaria said.

The letter followed a representation by the Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA), which had raised concerns over the pricing of B Twill bags and the financial impact of applying the August rate to July orders.