The Hindu : Business : Success of Rubber Board draws praise

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Tuesday, Dec 18, 2007
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Success of Rubber Board draws praise

Staff Reporter

Jubilee of plantation extension scheme

KOTTAYAM: That the Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh is a great admirer of the Rubber Board is well known. He is so impressed by the success of the Board that he would like to restructure all commodity boards on the lines of Rubber Board, a successful, integrated, working model that combines production, extension, marketing, research and development all under one roof.

“One problem with coconut sector is that they haven’t got an integrated model like the Rubber Board,” he said while inaugurating the Golden Jubilee of the Plantation Extension Programme of the Rubber Board here on Friday.

But there are two other reasons that have contributed to the success story, if his words are to be believed. “First, the State government had no role in the functioning of the Rubber Board. It is the Central government that has full responsibility and jurisdiction over the Rubber Board,” Mr Ramesh said. And secondly, no politician had come to the top of the Board as its Chairman or chief executive, the Union Minister said. This could ensure administrative continuity, according to him.

May be the Minister was making an indirect comment on the basic reason for the continued endurance of the ‘non-working model’ called Kerala.

The Congressman in Mr Ramesh raised his head once, in the otherwise genial and pleasant inaugural speech in which the Minister articulated his total sway over the subject.

The issue referred to was the dominant presence of the clonal variety RRII 105 in the plantation sector and need for going in for different varieties of clones. “It is not advisable to allow one party to rule for long. That is why Keralites go in for alternate governments every five years,” he said. But the punch came at the end. “Otherwise we will have incidents like Nandigram,” he said, drawing not so appreciative looks from CPI (M) leaders who shared the dais.

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