Bezbaruah reappointed as Chairman of Tea Board
The Ministry of Commerce and Industries has approved the re-appointment of P K Bezbaruah as the Chairman of Tea Board for a second tenure. He was the first non-IAS chairman of the Tea Board.
Highlights of his First Tenure
- He has been urging the Indian Tea Industry to explore export opportunities in the vast Chinese market.
- He was instrumental in initiating a revamp of the old electronic auctioning system in association with the IIM Bengaluru.
Tea Board
- The origin of the Tea Board can be traced to 1903 when the Indian Tea Cess Bill was passed to provide for levying a cess on tea exports. The proceeds of the cess were to be used for the promotion of Indian tea both within and outside India.
- The Current Tea Board was constituted on 1st April 1954 under section 4 of the Tea Act 1953.
- Tea Board is functioning as a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industries.
Functions of Tea Board
- Providing financial and technical assistance for cultivation, manufacture and marketing of tea.
- Export Promotion.
- Undertaking Research and Development activities for augmentation of tea production and improvement of tea quality.
- Providing financial assistance in a limited way to the plantation workers and their wards through labour welfare schemes.
- To encourage and assist both financially and technically the unorganised small grower’s sector.
- Collection and maintenance of Statistical data and publication
Tea Board Consists of 31 members drawn from Members of Parliament, tea producers, tea traders, tea brokers, consumers, and representatives of Governments from the principal tea producing states, and trade unions and the Board is reconstituted every three years.
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Month: Current Affairs - March, 2019