The Ministry of Finance has allocated a total of Tk. 212.08 crore for the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) to pay the arrears due to the difference between the National Wage Scale 2015 and the National Wage Scale 2010 for the replacement workers of BJMC's closed jute mills.
The Ministry of Finance allocated the money on Thursday. The allocated amount will be paid to the workers into their respective accounts.
The ministry allocated the money as 'Management Loan' or 'Operation Loan'. However, the allocated amount cannot be spent in any other sector except payment of arrears of 21,552 casual workers of 18 mills under BJMC in FY 2021-22.
The letter stated that in case of payment of arrears to the casual workers; each worker should have the given token and unique ID number, NID and bank account.
The casual workers must receive the arrears through bank account after verifying the NID. In no case can the arrears of casual workers be paid without NID and bank account.
While paying the dues of the casual workers, the mill authorities will re-verify and pay the dues of the workers in the light of the government rules and regulations. The BJMC / Mills Authority will take immediate action to rectify any discrepancies in the payment.
The existing rules and regulations of the government have to be followed in spending the allocated money. If any payment is made outside the rules, the concerned officer will be held responsible. BJMC will have to execute a loan agreement with the finance department for the allocated funds.
The arrears of the 21,643 eligible workers of the closed mills under Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) amount to Tk 213.12 crore. Among those workers, there are 91 people with faulty NIDs and that financially amounts to Tk 1.04 crore.
Excluding workers with such NIDs, the remaining 21,552 casual workers have total arrears of Tk 212.08 crore. In FY 2021-22, allocations were made in favor of BJMC under the Department of Textiles and Jute Mills Corporation from the 'Management Loan' sector.
The closed mills of BJMC are running on privately under lease. Retired workers will get job opportunities on a priority basis after being re-launched under private management. At the same time, new employment opportunities will be created for able and skilled workers.
