Centre asked to order more jute bags from Bengal: Mamata

Chinsurah: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said she has asked the central government to increase the procurement of jute bags for government packages to revive the jute industry in the state.

"We have requested centre to revive the jute industry by placing more orders. Centre is not procuring jute bags," she told the media in Hooghly district`s Chinsurah after addressing an administrative meeting.

Banerjee, also the the Trinamool Congress supremo, also reiterated her earlier demand of extending banking services across all gram panchayats in the state.

"How will we transfer wages for 100 Days` Work scheme if there are no banks? We want centre to turn post offices into banks. There are no banks in 1000 gram panchayats in the state. We have requested Centre regarding the issue," she said.

Announcing a slew of developmental projects for the district, Banerjee said her government will set up a Centre of Excellence at Chinsurah in collaboration with the Israeli government.

She also said that her government has given compensation to over a lakh of farmers affected by unseasonal rains.