Baleshwar: After remaining closed for five months due to operational challenges and shortage of raw materials, Rupsa Jute Mill in Baleshwar Sadar block will resume operations August 8, bringing relief to more than 700 workers. The decision was taken following a series of discussions between the mill management and the workers’ union. Both sides signed a written agreement after a meeting held in Baleshwar July 30, paving the way for the reopening of the unit. At a general meeting held on the mill premises August 4, union president Shantanu Kumar Das informed workers that production would resume August 8. General secretary Rajanikanta Biswal highlighted the role of workers in the factory’s overall development, while former general secretary Dipak Kumar Panda read out the terms of the agreement signed between the two sides.