KOCHI: The BJP’s reported decision to allot Spices Board chairman’s post to Thushar Vellappally-led BDJS has been received by the NDA ally with much enthusiasm. But ironically, the post comes with no power or authority as the Central government has recently stripped the post off all the powers virtually making it merely decorative. As per an extraordinary gazette (notifications – GSR 156(E), 157(E) issued by Union Government dated February 2, 2018, the word “chairman” has been substituted with the word “secretary” in all regulations and rules amending the Spices Board Service (Classification, Control and Appeal) Regulations 1992.
According to senior officers, the amendment has been made to transfer all powers vested with chairman to the secretary. In the gazette GSR 157(E), the powers and duties of the chairman have been revised.
As per the new rules, “the chairman shall be head of the Board, the chairman shall have power to grant leave to secretary of the Board, the chairman shall preside over the meetings of the Board, accept resignations, if any, of the Board members and he shall also exercise such other powers as many be specified by the Government of India.”
The new notification has granted executive powers to secretary as he will be in charge of the day-to-day functioning of the Spices Board which include supervisory and disciplinary control, sanction expenditure, purchase and take other appropriate decisions.Officers said there was nothing unusual in amending the service rules before making the chairman post open for “political” appointments. “So far, the chairman’s post was held by senior bureaucrats in the rank of deputy secretary who are qualified to run the affairs of the Spices Board.
Now (following the amendment) the Centre can appoint a candidate of its choice. The chairman’s powers are now transferred to secretary who will most likely be a senior bureaucrat,” officers said. “I have so far not received any order from the government on my selection as chairman of the Board. Also, I have not heard about the new notifications curtailing the powers of chairman. I don’t think a discussion is required about it at this point of time,” said BDJS leader Subash Vasu. The chairman’s post was allotted to the BDJS by BJP-led government at the Centre as a deft move to mend the fissures in the relation with the SNDP Yogam, which has been demanding BJP honour the promises made while forming a political alliance.
Meanwhile, BJP party sources said the decision to amend the Service Regulations of Spices Board was taken as part of the Centre’s larger plan to amend the service rules of all commodity boards.
“The amendment of Spices Board service regulations wasn’t done to allot the chairman’s post to the BDJS. In fact, the amendment was made in February 2018, much before the Chengannur by-election,” the party leaders said.The Centre had similarly appointed a candidate of its choice as the chairman of Coffee Board in 2017, the leaders added.