Kolkata, March 20 The Trinamool Congress announced a "Natural Fibers Revival Mission" in its election manifesto, unveiled on Friday, pledging to revive closed and struggling jute mills in the state and boost the global marketability of jute products.
The initiative aims to restore livelihoods for thousands of workers in struggling jute units in the state, which the party describes as a national leader in jute production.
Under the plan, the TMC has also proposed expanding the mission to include the revival and promotion of other natural fibers and textiles.
Welcoming the election promise, Sanjay Kajaria, the former chairman of the Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA), said that reviving the natural fiber industry is crucial, but emphasized that quality improvement is equally important.
"If (jute) farmers are revitalized, the mills will also revive," he said, emphasizing that any meaningful turnaround in the sector must begin at the cultivation level.
On the export front, the TMC manifesto proposes setting up four zonal MSME Export Hubs in Howrah, Durgapur, Berhampore, and Siliguri, with a special focus on textile and apparel exports.
The party said that these hubs, combined with efforts to make jute products more competitive in domestic and international markets, would be part of a broader goal to double the state's total annual exports to Rs 1.54 lakh crore by 2030-31.