Maintenance and supervision of jute mills is a moral responsibility: Mannujan

State Minister for Labor and Employment Mannujan Sufian said the government had given full financial benefits to the workers of the jute mills. Very soon the state-owned jute mills of the country including Khulna will restart based on public-private partnership (PPP). Therefore, the maintenance and supervision of jute mills is the moral responsibility of the project heads of the mills and the government officials and employees working in the mills.

The state minister said this in a special meeting on overall law, order and security in the closed mill areas held at the Khulna Circuit House conference room on Monday afternoon in the wake of a risk to the security of the mills, especially fear of theft of important goods and valuable parts due to the closure of production activities.

Khulna Police commissioner Khandaker Lutful Kabir was present at the meeting. Khulna deputy commissioner Mohammad Helal Hossain presided over the function.

Khulna City mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleq said the workers of the jute mills were only engaged in production. Just as the safety and maintenance of the mills was the main responsibility of the officials while the mills were in operation, there is no scope for the officials to neglect this responsibility now.

Khulna police commissioner Khandaker Lutful Kabir said law enforcement agencies would always be at hand to cooperate with the mill authorities in securing the mills. He also suggested installing CC cameras at 360-degree angles in each jute mill, and monitoring the cameras round the clock.

In his speech, deputy commissioner Mohammad Helal Hossain said the ICT department of the district administration would provide all kinds of assistance to strengthen security at the mills using information technology. If necessary, the cooperation of experts from Khulna University and Khulna Engineering University will be taken.

It was also said at the meeting that the appointment of armed Ansars has been approved for the security of the jute mills. Besides, it was decided to increase the surveillance activities of industrial police, naval police and strengthen security along the river banks of the mills.

RAB, Khulna District Police, Industrial Police, Naval Police, Divisional Labor Department officials and project heads of jute mills also attended the meeting.

On July 2, the government announced the closure of 25 state-owned jute mills across the country, including nine in the Khulna region. Production activities have been suspended till these state-owned jute mills restart on a PPP basis.