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The government has released Tk 2.14 billion as operating loan to pay workers' arrears of closed state-owned Platinum Jubilee Jute Mills Ltd, officials said.
Fifty per cent of total arrears of mill's workers will be paid to their respective bank accounts while the rest of 50 per cent through 3-monthly profit-bearing Sanchayapatra, they added.
There were a total of 3,836 permanent workers in the state-owned jute mill which was shut down recently.
Of them, 3,800 workers will get their dues from loan while 36 others will get their arrears as per the merit of case results, a source said.
Operating loan has been allocated from the budget of the current fiscal year.
The government shut25 jute mills under Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) from July 01, 2020for incurring losses over the years.
A committee was formed on July 16 and asked to recommend reopening the units successfully within a short period.
The finance ministry issued an order on Sunday last setting some conditions in this regard.
According to the conditions, a detailed summary will be submitted to the finance division within seven days after disbursing arrears among the workers.
The mill authority will have to scrutinize it before paying arrears to mill's workers. The fund will have to be disbursed as per the government's existing rules and regulations. The fund will only be used to pay arrears of the workers of the state-owned jute mill.
BJMC will have to signa memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the finance division after disbursing all arrears of the workers of 25 closed state-run jute mills.
The rest of arrears that will be paid through 3-monthly profit-bearing Sanchayapatra will be issued shortly to respective accounts of the workers.
When contacted, General Manager (Accounts) of BJMC Md. Maleque declined to make any comment in this regard.