MADARIPUR, Sept 8: State Minister for Jute Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan has called for making the mills and factories profitable through increased production by maintaining good relations between the employers and the employees, reports BSS.

Addressing a big workers rally tn the premises of Haw-ladar Jute Mill here Thursday, Bhuiyan said repair work of the mill would begin from tomorrow and ft would be reopened within a month.

State Minister for Information Nurul Huda addressed the rally as the special guest.

Presided over by Chairman of the Board of Directors of the mill Lutfar Rahman Hawladar, the rally was addressed, among others, by Kabir Hossain MP, Mashlur Rahman MP, Engineer Atiqur Rahman and local pourasava chairman Khalilur

Bhuiyan said the present government was determined to build an efficient and corruption free administration at all levels. He sought coopcra tton from all in this regard.

Nurul Huda said BNP under the leadership of Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia launched anti-autocracy movement for the last nine years. He said BNP struggled for changing the lot of the people. But he said. BNP was facing conspiracy and harassment after the formation of government. He called upon all to resist those unholy forces.

Later, the two state ministers visited Bangladesh Jute Corporation Office and some jute purchasing centres at Charmuguria.

The State Minister for Jute said stringent measures would be taken against any corrupt practice fn purchasing jute. He directed to give priority to purchase jute directly from the growers.

JHENIDAH, Sept 8: Sharp fall fn Jute price In the district has thrown the local Jute growers Into a puzzling situation. reports UNB.

No purchasing centre has yet been opened in the district either by government or any private agency threatening

further decline in the Jute price.

In utter helplessness, the growers are selling their hard laboured produce to the local middlemen at throw away prices.

Jute is selling between Taka 230 and Taka 270 per maund in Sadar, Hatgopalpur, KaliganJ and Borobazar markets while It sold between Taka 260 and Taka 300 per maund a few days back.

It Is apprehended that with the beginning of full season the Jute price will register a further fall which will aggravate the economic situation of the growers.

District level agriculture officer MozalTar Hossain told UNB that the production cost of jute has normally stood at Taka 400 per maund including lease amount of the. land, labour cost and all other costs of inputs, thus growers sustained a loss of Taka 130 to 170 per maund, he added.

"Who thinks for usl ",— said Abu Taleb of Ghoramara village

of Sadar upazlla with great resentment.

He said, "as we have no means, we are bound to sell our produce at a very low price which does not even cover expenses to transplanted aman cultivation."

Adding more on the miserable situation another grower Pear All of Kaman ku nd u village of the same upazlla told that some times they are forced to sell jute on credit and that they are subjected to a lot of harassment in realising money from the middlemen.

Farmers alleged that middlemen and stockists have been taking advantage of the situation and depriving them of fair price due to lack of proper marketing system.

When contacted local Jute traders opined that the prevailing Jute market is the Impact of reluctance of Jute exporters and millers at different centres including Daulatpur of Khulna who have no bank advance this year to purchase jute.