Jajpur: Efforts are on to revive the Konark Jute Mill Limited, the first of the state, which has remained closed since 2012.

A group of people met chief minister Naveen Patnaik earlier this week and demanded its revival. The jute mill was set up by the Idcol at Dhanmandal. It had started its production in 1979.

"The Konark Jute Mill was the primary source of livelihood in the undivided Cuttack district when it gave employment to more than 3,000 people. It was a profit-making and viable public sector unit of the state government. It is only due to mismanagement and corruption that this industry has become what it is today," said Manorama Acharya, who was in the group that went to meet Naveen.

She said the discussion with the chief minister was fruitful and she was optimistic that the state government would take a decision to revive the mill shortly.

The state government sold the jute mill when its accumulated losses touched Rs 27 crore in 2011. Although a private company has bought the jute mill for Rs 13 core, it is yet to pay the state government the full amount. A case in this regard is sub -judice. BJD chief whip and local legislator Amar Prasad Satpathy said: "The government cannot do much at the moment because the matter is sub-judice."