7Functions of the Council

(1) It shall be the duty of the Council to promote, by such measures as it thinks fit, the development of production of jute manufactures by increasing the efficiency and productivity in the jute industry.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of sub-section (1), the measures referred to therein may provide for--

(a) evolving an integrated approach to jute cultivation in the matter of formulation of schemes, extension work, implementation and evaluation of schemes aimed at increasing the yield of jute and improving the quality thereof;

(b) promoting arrangements for better marketing and sale of jute;

(c) recommending targets for production for jute industry, co-ordinating production programmes and reviewing progress from time to time;

(d) suggesting norms of efficiency for jute industry with a view to eliminating waste, obtaining optimum production, improving quality and reducing costs;

(e) promoting standardisation of jute manufactures;

(f) maintenance and improvement of existing markets and development of new markets outside India for jute manufactures and devising marketing strategy in consonance with the demand for such manufactures outside India;

(g) sponsoring, assisting, co-ordinating or encouraging scientific, technological and economic research into the matters relating to materials, equipment, methods of production, product development, including discovery and development of new materials, equipment and methods and of improvements in those already in use in the jute industry;

(h) ensuring stabilisation of prices of jute manufactures in and outside India;

(i) promoting or undertaking the collection and formulation of statistics regarding jute industry;

(j) propagating information useful to the growers, dealers and exporters of jute and producers or manufacturers of jute goods;

(k) such other matters as may be prescribed.

(3) The Council shall perform its functions under this section in accordance with and subject to such rules as may be made by the Central Government and such rules may be in particular make provisions for ensuring that the Council functions in close liaison with Union agencies, institutions and authorities concerned with the jute manufactures (including cultivation of jute) and avoids duplication of effort.