Jute workers want reopening of jute mills

Eluru: Jute workers staged a dharna at District Collectorate here on Monday, demanding that the Government take initiative to open the closed jute mills in the state.
The workers led by IFTU organised a rally here and reached Collectorate in the morning. The workers in response to the call given by Jute Federation affiliated to IFTU, staged dharna at the Collectorate.

The IFTU West Godavari district unit general secretary, U Venkateswara Rao (UV), city committee general secretary Badda Venkatrao, city committee president Kakarla Appa Rao addressed the workers at the dharna. They said that about 20,000 workers were now jobless following the closure of various jute mills in the state. The government so far had not taken any steps to reopen these industries, they alleged.

The leaders demanded that the State Government take steps to protect the jute industry in the state and solve the problems faced by the workers in jute sector.

IFTU Jute Mazdoor Union leaders A Durga Rao, D Ramana, K Nookaraju and K Chittiyya led the agitation.