BJP’s national chief J.P. Nadda said at a poll rally in Hooghly’s Dhanekhali on Wednesday that 39 of the 60 jute mills in Bengal were not operating, but sources in the industry said the figure was wrong.

Although no one came on record, sources in the Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA) said Nadda had been wrongly briefed. Bengal has some 67 jute mills, with five permanently closed. However, 60 mills are running fully or partially, an IJMA source said.

Nadda also said the Hastings Mill in Rishra and the Brook Mill in Champdani, both in Hooghly district, were closed.

However, both are operational, said the highly placed IJMA source, and pointed out that Nadda had possibly been referring to Northbrook jute mill at Champdani as “Brook”.

“Northbrook jute mill, which is at Champdani, is partially operational,” said the IJMA source. “The BJP leader may have mispronounced Northbrook as Brook.” Hastings Jute Mill was fully operational, he added.

“This area which is known for jute industries…jute business…This is an industrial belt. But here under the rule of Mamataji (chief minister Mamata Banerjee), 39 out of 60 jute mills are closed. Am I right? (She) ruled for ten years…39 out of 60 mills closed. Now Trinamul’s chapter will also be closed,” Nadda said. “Friends, the Hastings Jute Industry in Rishra has closed down. The Brook Jute Industry in Champdani has closed down…and work was suspended here leaving about 10,000 workers jobless…” Nadda added.

He said Mamata couldn’t start the Dunlop factory in Hooghly after promising to do so.

Goutam Chatterjee, BJP’s organisational chief for Hooghly district, tried to justify Nadda’s claims. “The mills running currently are almost dying. That is what Naddaji meant. Most workers are employed on contract basis and paid less than what they should get. If the BJP comes to power, we will change all this,” Chatterjee told this paper.

BJP leaders, including Nadda, on Wednesday claimed the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi allowed 100 per cent packaging of food grains like wheat and rice in jute bags to support the industry. However, packing food grains in jute bags was made mandatory by the Jute Packaging Materials Act of 1987.

Nadda also said that workers at jute mills were not given provident fund benefits and minimum wages. Though jute worker unions agreed they didn’t get provident fund, they blamed the Centre for it.

“Provident fund benefits have been destroyed by the policies of the Centre,” said Nagendra Pandey, joint general secretary of Jute Workers’ Federation, who added that most mills were operational.

IJMA sources, however, said provident fund for workers had been regularised and arrears of around Rs 20 crore was stuck in litigation.

On Wednesday, Nadda also participated in two roadshows in Bally and Pursurah.