BTMC mill earns profit at last

Works on machines at Kurigram Textile Mills. The photo was taken on Friday. PHOTO: STAR

There is no trade union in the mill and loadshedding, which was one of the reasons for losses earlier, has been reduced, mill authorities said.

It was reopened in April 2003 following ten months' closure from June 2002 with a total loss of about Tk 50 crore.

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Failing to privatise the mill due to pressure from different quarters including workers and non-availability of suitable buyer, BTMC (Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation) reopened the mill under a new concept.

It produces yarn for textile businessmen in exchange of 'service charge' under contract.

Now, Rita Traders of Narayanganj supplies raw materials and purchases the yarn at the rate of Tk 5,300 per bale. The mill earns a gross amount of Tk 40,000 to 50,000 per day.

About 350 workers and 50 employees of the mill are working day and night under new conditions that BTMC will neither pay their salary or give any subsidy. They are earning on the basis of 'no work no pay'.

Talking to this correspondent during a recent visit, its Deputy General Ansar Uddin said the mill has started earning profit and expressed optimism that it would run profitably if the present working condition prevails and smooth power supply ensured.

"Workers' sincerity made the mill profit-earning", he said.

The mill earned a small profit of around Tk two lakh in the last couple of months, other sources at the mill said.

"The profit may be very small but it shows a good trend", he said.

But electricity disruption is still the main hindrance.

"Even in January, February, and March (this year), loadshedding kept many of the machines inoperative for eighteen hour a day", he said.

The DGM said he has written to different quarters in the government to take initiative to ensure smooth power supply.

The mill needs two megawatt electricity but gets about half of it.

So many of the machines often remain idle and the production target of 12 bales per day can not be

achieved.

The spinning mill was set up in poverty-stricken Nazira in Kurigram Sadar upazila at a cost of Tk 22 crore to provide jobs to 500 people.

In the wake of continuous loss, BTMC decided to lay off the mill and kept it closed with a plan to privatisatise it.

"In such a situation, workers urged BTMC not to privatize the mill and agreed to comply with any condition to keep it running under government management," said former workers union secretary Noor Zamal Naya.

Naya Miah said the workers abolished trade union and are more active and punctual now than before.

They took all arrears dues and are now working on 'no work no pay basis' under BTMC management, he said.

Contract is made with parties through tender. A large number of textile businessmen responded when the mill authorities offered to produce yarn in exchange of 'service charge' only.

Rita Traders of Narayanganj was selected as it offered the highest rate, the former trade union leader said.

Some of the workers this correspondent talked to said they are happy and many of them work overtime to earn more.

But the production target can not be reached due to load shedding, which keeps many machines idle.

Twenty-seven out of 29 machines are workable now. They urged the BTMC to make the rest two operative.