Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ritabrata Banerjee has called on the central government to tackle the worsening crisis in West Bengal's raw jute industry. Writing to Union Textile Minister Giriraj Singh on January 1, 2026, he described the situation as an "economic and social emergency" needing urgent action. "The present situation—characterised by acute scarcity of raw jute, extreme price volatility, curtailment of mill operations and loss of employment—has not arisen suddenly," Mr. Banerjee said. He blamed policy gaps over recent years, especially the lack of a proper stabilization system for raw jute and poor demand planning under the Packaging Commodities Supply Order (PCSO) and Gunny Trade Policy (GTP). Though Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement was carried out during the low-price period of 2023-24, no further stabilizing steps followed. Mr. Banerjee, who also heads the National Trinamool Trade Union Congress, pointed out missing rules on reserve stocks, delayed release triggers, and no stock rotation policy made the crisis worse. "Consequently, MSP procurement absorbed distress sales by farmers but failed to prevent the present scarcity and price shock," his letter read. He added that raw material costs have risen so much that jute mills are shutting down and thousands of workers are losing regular jobs. Jute farmers face sales uncertainty amid this turmoil. The MP urged immediate measures including clear reserve norms, transparent release signals, timely stock rotation linked to MSP buying, faster procurement, better grading, and assured payment schedules. He warned that without quick action, the sector risks long-term damage, threatening the entire jute-based packaging industry relying on this key resource.