Silghat jute mill crisis deepens; experts allege mismanagement behind shutdown
The crisis has been attributed to either the non-payment of dues to suppliers or ulterior motives by some stakeholders
File image of jute mill at Silghat in Nagaon (Photo: Gaurav Saikia/Google Maps)
Nagaon, Feb 13: The jute mill at Silghat in Nagaon district, operating under the cooperative sector, has come to a grinding halt once again as production ceased on February 1 due to a shortage of raw materials, specifically jute.
Sources reveal that the mill’s second unit was previously shut down due to non-payment of dues to the jute suppliers.
Mill authorities had handed over the unit’s management to a Kolkata-based firm, which allegedly failed to clear the suppliers’ dues, leading to conflicts and even an attempted suicide.
Despite temporary relief efforts by Kaliabor Co-district administration and the mill authorities, the situation has deteriorated again. Experts blame the mill’s woes on mismanagement and alleged corruption by some officials.
The mill, which had turned profitable after reopening in 1986 under the Assam Accord, had been running smoothly until the Covid-19 pandemic and also had shown a profit margin even in 2021, a trend that continued for over another couple of fiscal years.
The recent attempts to revive the second unit with female labourers had shown promise, but the current shutdown has put thousands of workers’ jobs at risk.
The crisis has been attributed to either the non-payment of dues to suppliers or ulterior motives by some stakeholders.