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WB industry minister criticises Centre for moving apex court

PTI, Kolkata

The West Bengal commerce and industry minister Mr Nirupam Sen has criticised the central government for moving the apex court against the Calcutta high court’s order in favour of status quo ante for mandatory Jute Packaging Materials Act.

Saying that the state government was disappointed with the Centre’s decision, Mr Sen while replying to the debate on the budgetary grants for his department in the assembly, said that chief minister Mr Buddhadev Bhattacharjee had discussed the issue with the defence minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee who hailed from the state. “Yet the Centre had filed a special leave petition before the Supreme Court against the Calcutta high court’s order. We are disappointed with the Centre’s stand,” he said.

The Centre, he said, had diluted the provision of the Jute Packaging Material Act, 1987 as a result of which now compulsory use of jute bags had been brought down to 60 per cent for foodgrains and 50 per cent for sugar which the West Bengal government had consistently opposed.

The state government had also requested the Centre to protect the interest of the jute industry and farmers, he said. The jute industry along with the state government and others had challenged the notification by filing a petition before the regional court that directed the Centre to maintain status quo ante for the use of jute packaging materials as existed before the issuance of the notification. The Calcutta high court had also ordered that the earlier jute packaging norms of 90 per cent for sugar and 100 per cent for foodgrains would continue until a fresh recommendation was made by the standing advisory committee on jute to the central government.