(Repeating with corrections in para three)

Kishanganj, Sep 3 (UNI) A four phase Jute Technical Mission involving a whopping sum of Rs 355 crore on the pattern of cotton technical mission will be launched this month to promote raw jute.

The declaration was made here by chairman-cum Managing Director (MD) Jute Corporation of India R C Tiwary at a marathon meeting of jute growers, zila parishad and panchayat members from across the districts of Purnia, Kishanganj, Araria and Katihar at Rachna Bhavan here yesterady.

Besides the jute growers and panchayat level functionaries, those who attended the meeting were JCI marketing manager Amitabh Mukherjee, Ministry of Textile N K Rangnathan.

Union Minister Taslimuddin presided over the five-hour-long meeting, which focussed on plethora of problems confronting the jute growers, who were steadily giving up this traditional cultivation.

Measures to revamp the jute cultivation and win back the growers were also highlighted.

Mr Tiwary disclosed that following the prevailing drought-like condition and extreme paucity of rains in the jute hinterland of Bihar, North Bengal and Assam, the Ministry of Textile, which also handles jute, has directed the JCI to go in for commercial purchase of raw jute, also known as golden fibre, so as to protect the overall interests of the jute growers.

Union Textile Minister Shanker Singh Vaghela took this decision, which was effective from August 17, he added.

Earlier, the JCI had taken a decision to hike the minimum support price of raw jute by an unprecedented Rs 90 per quintal. Such unconventional measures had resulted in yielded result in the prices of raw jute, which currently hovered around Rs 1500 per quintal.

Mr Tiwary disclosed that JCI had decided to set up five out of proposed fifty purchase centres of its own in Bihar and added since Kishanganj accounted for bigger output of raw jute than any other district in the state, and that too quality one, one such purchase centre would be opened here.

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