Lok Sabha Question No. 87 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-17
Subject: Field Offices of Rubber Board
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: ANTO  ANTONY, RAMACHANDRAN MULLAPPALLY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 87 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 th  JULY, 2017

## FIELD OFFICES OF RUBBER BOARD

## 87.   SHRI ANTO ANTONY: SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वािणÏय एवं उɮयोग मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  total  number  of  field  offices  of  Rubber  Board  functioning  in  the country, State-wise;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  any  plan  to  enhance  the  number  of  field  offices  of Rubber Board in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has any data of such field offices closed down in the State of Kerala and if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor; and
- (d) whether the Government has any plan to close down Rubber Board regional offices in Kerala or shifting Rubber Board from Kerala to some other State and if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

okf.kT; ,oa m|ksx jkT; ea=h ¼Jherh fueZyk lhrkje.k½ ¼Lora= izHkkj½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

## (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SMT. NIRMALA SITHARAMAN)

- (a) Details  of  state-wise  number  of  Field  Offices  of  Rubber  Board  functioning  in  the country are as under:
- (b) Major portion of new planting of rubber has been in non-traditional regions during the recent  past  and  therefore  it  has  been  decided  to  open  new  Field  Offices  in  nontraditional regions including the North East.
- (c) The  Board  shifted/merged  26  Field  Offices  to  adjacent  Field/Regional  offices  in Kerala  to  save  establishment  expenses.  The  jurisdiction  of  Field  Officers  of  the shifted/merged  Field  Offices  continued  to  be  same  as  before  and  there  was  no reduction  in  the  number  of  Field  Officers.  Hence,  there  is  no  compromise  in  the services/facilities offered to rubber growers.
- (d) Reorganisation  of  Regional  Offices  of  the  Rubber  Board  has  been  done  to  reduce establishment  and  operating  expenses  of  the  Board  without  compromising  on  the extension and other services rendered to growers. Regional Office (RO) of Rubber Board at Ernakulam was closed by merging with Muvattupuzha RO as rubber planted area  in  the  service  area  of  the  Ernakulam  RO  substantially  declined  on  account  of urbanization. Development Offices (DO) are established at locations where ROs are reorganized for providing extension services and only administrative/general functions are merged with nearby ROs.  The following ROs were reorganized .
-  Kothamangalam RO merged with Muvattupuzha RO and a DO established at Kothamangalam.
-  Kottayam  RO  merged  with  Changanacherry  RO  and  a  DO  established  at Kottayam.

| State             |   Number of Field Offices |
|-------------------|---------------------------|
| Tamil Nadu        |                         2 |
| Kerala            |                       111 |
| Karnataka         |                         6 |
| Goa               |                         1 |
| Odisha            |                         2 |
| West Bengal       |                         1 |
| Assam             |                        10 |
| Tripura           |                        10 |
| Manipur           |                         1 |
| Meghalaya         |                         5 |
| Nagaland          |                         2 |
| Arunachal Pradesh |                         5 |
| Mizoram           |                         1 |
| Total             |                       157 |

There is no plan to shift Head Office of Rubber Board from Kerala.

.*******