Photo Courtesy: tripuratimes
Agartala: Tripura Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy blamed the previous Left Front government on Wednesday for the financial ruin of the state-run jute mill. He cited years of mismanagement and bloated hiring practices. The mill started trial production in 1980 and hit commercial status in 1981. It soon turned into a political playground. Officials allegedly packed the payroll despite needing only 807 workers.
The facility ballooned to 2,253 employees. This decision created a massive liability for the state exchequer. The current BJP-led government is now cleaning up the mess. They have already paid roughly ₹220 crore to cover employee dues following court orders. A legal battle dating back to 2003 stalled the process. The Left Front challenged a High Court ruling in the Supreme Court, which ultimately sided against the state and added 6 percent interest to the mounting debt.
The minister blasted the previous administration for their handling of the legal dispute. "Had the earlier government accepted the High Court's order at that time, the employees would have received only around ₹20–25 crore," Roy claimed. He estimated the total financial burden stemming from these past decisions at nearly ₹1,000 crore. He accused the CPI(M) of misleading the public and depriving workers of their pay since 1996.
The government will now shutter the site for good. They plan to auction off defunct, deteriorated machinery. A new IT Park will take over 10 acres of land. This project aims to hire 2,000 educated youths. Officials also intend to build a Skill Development Centre and a Multi-Super Speciality Hospital on the premises. These projects mark the end of the jute mill era in Tripura.
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