Calcutta, April 25: Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has convened an emergency tripartite meeting this week following reports that the Calcutta metropolitan area is losing out jute business to other states.

According to industry sources as many as 30 jute factories are coming up in Andhra Pradesh. In neighbouring Nepal, six mills are being set up and several others are in the pipeline in Bihar, Assam and Orissa, they added.

Bengal is worried that this might take away its monopoly in an industry, which even in its present moribund condition provides employment to nearly three lakh people and has a significant contribution to the state?s economy.

The state, along with promotional agency Jute Manufactures Development Council (JMDC), has sent out invitations to prominent jute entrepreneurs, trade union leaders and technical experts for a meeting on April 27. The government plans to chalk out a separate policy on jute in line with the one framed by the Centre recently.

Industry leaders are looking forward to the meet as this is a first such interaction between Bhattacharjee and jute mill owners. They hope that the state might come up with some definite direction on the future course of the industry regarding modernisation, diversification and labour rationalisation issues.

A major portion of the Centre?s jute policy deals with state-based agencies such as Jute Corporation of India (JCI) and National Jute Manufacturers Corporation (NJMC). It also talks about modernisation of mills and diversified jute products and increasing exports, which will be implemented by the state-based mills.

The Union textile ministry is expected to provide full support to the state?s efforts to improve the condition of the sector. Union textile secretary R. Purnalingam is expected to lead the team of central officials, which would include Jute commissioner S. Majumdar and JMDC secretary Arun Bal.

Industry sources said the state government hardly had any role in the promotion of the jute sector. On any given issue, it was the labour department that represents the state.