Lok Sabha Question No. 93 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-18
Subject: Field Offices of Rubber Board
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: ANTO  ANTONY

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 93 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18 TH  JULY, 2016

## FIELD OFFICES OF RUBBER BOARD

## 93. SHRI ANTO ANTONY:

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

- (a) the salient features of the field offices of the Rubber Board functioning in various parts of the country;
- (b) whether the Government has any record regarding the number of these field offices of the Rubber Board and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has recently decided to reduce the number of field offices of the Rubber Board and if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor; and
- (d) whether the  Government has received any complaint in this regard and if so,  the details thereof along with the action taken by the Government thereon?

## ANSWER

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## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SMT. NIRMALA SITHARAMAN)

- (a) &(b)  Field  Offices  of  Rubber  Board  are  base  level  extension  offices,  stationed  at remote  villages  of  rubber  growing  regions  of  the  county  manned  by  a  single  Field Officer. The main functions of Field Officers areadvisory and extension services to growers on all aspects of rubber cultivation, harvesting and post-harvesting operations, inspection of rubber plantations for recommending planting subsidy under Rubber Plantation Development & Extension Scheme of Rubber Board, guidance to voluntary  forums  of  small  growers  viz.,  Rubber  Producers  Societies  (RPS)  in  the region, collectionof statistics on rubber production and related aspects etc.State-wise number of Field Offices are as under:

|   Sl No | State          |   No. of Field Offices |
|---------|----------------|------------------------|
|       1 | Tamil Nadu     |                      2 |
|       2 | Kerala         |                    111 |
|       3 | Karnataka      |                      8 |
|       4 | Goa            |                      1 |
|       5 | Andhra Pradesh |                      1 |

| 6.   | Odisha            |   3 |
|------|-------------------|-----|
| 7.   | West Bengal       |   1 |
| 8.   | Assam             |  14 |
| 9.   | Tripura           |  12 |
| 10.  | Manipur           |   1 |
| 11.  | Meghalaya         |   4 |
| 12.  | Nagaland          |   3 |
| 13.  | Arunachal Pradesh |   3 |
| 14.  | Mizoram           |   1 |
|      | Total             | 165 |

(c)  &(d) The number of Field offices of Rubber Board has not been reduced. However, the 26 Field Offices in Kerala has been shifted to adjacent Field/Regional offices falling within  an  average  distance  of  15  km.  There  is  no  reduction  in  the  number  of  Field Officers, who will discharge their duties from the relocated positions. The jurisdiction of the Field Officers of the shifted Field Offices being the same, there is no compromise in the services/facilities available to rubber growers from these offices.  This has been done in  view  of  austerity  measures  in  Rubber  Board  to  reduce  establishment  cost.  No complaint in this regard has been received.However, a reference has been received from Hon'ble MP in the matter.

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