The Jute Commissioner looks after orderly development and promotion of the jute industry in India. He has been discharging both regulatory and developmental functions. This is not only includes jute mills, but covers right from raw jute marketing up to the finishing stage of jute goods production including development of machineries and accessories used in jute manufacturing units. The Jute Commissioner exercises regulatory powers under Jute & Jute Textiles Control Order, 2016.
Administering of mandatory packaging under JPM Act, declaration of MSP of jute, declaration of monthly price of B-Twill sacking, informal monitoring of R&D Projects. Regulator for the Jute Sector.
The primary functions of the office are :
1. To advise the government on all matters pertaining to raw jute, jute industry, modernization and diversification programme in both organized and decentralized sectors, development of jute machinery industry, etc.
2. To promote orderly exports and encouraging development of jute diversified products through several schemes and policies
3. To help the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) of develop appropriate quality standards for different items of jute goods.
4. To interact with different R & D organizations for intensification of market oriented research and development programme for the benefit of the jute sector keeping in view the technological development and consumer preferences.
5. As per the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), the operation of purchase and supply of B-Twill sacking by the State Procurement Agencies (SPAs) has been shifted from the Directorate General of Supplies & Disposal (DGS&D) to the Office of Jute Commissioner, Kolkata with effect from 1st November 2016. The Office of the Jute Commissioner has developed an end-to-end web-based platform for procurement, inspection and dispatch of jute bags which is transparent, rule based, simple to use and real time from November, 2016 onwards. Indents for a total quantity of around 68.66 lakh bales worth Rs. 17.148 thousand crores (approx.) have already been placed through JUTE-SMART from the month of November, 2016 to March, 2019.This is to enforce the compulsory jute packaging order promulgated under Jute Packaging Materials (Compulsory use in Packing Commodities)Act, 1987 in different end-user sectors covered by the Act.
6. To undertake short term and long-term over-view of jute scenario for formulating vision documents and for devising appropriate policy framework.
7. To initiate necessary policy measures relating to development of the Jute sector, focus from time to time the industry and to suggest corrective steps, whenever called for. In particularstatistical analysis is done to tackle diverse problems connected with production, export promotion, finance, stabilization of supply and prices, inter mill analysis of financial results and costs of production mill-wise in depth assessment of factors leading to sickness of mills, regulation of mills purchases and stock holding of raw jute for bringing about price stability in the market, etc.
8. Obtaining and maintaining records of regular monthly returns by the registered jute importers to fulfil stipulations of the Jute and Jute Textiles Control Order, 2016 and for meeting the reserved sector) requirement for packing food grains and sugar in jute packaging material manufactured in India from raw jute produced in India.
Thus, in a nutshell, the Office of the Jute Commissioner is in to: