Earlier this month, the government has come up with a draft notification seeking to amend some rules under the Tea Act of 1953. . (PTI)

With the Centre planning to redefine the role of the chairman and the deputy-chairman of the Tea Board of India for a better policy direction, union commerce secretary Rita Teaotia on Friday said her ministry is ‘actively’ scouting for a suitable person as a full-time chairman of the industry regulator.

Earlier this month, the government has come up with a draft notification seeking to amend some rules under the Tea Act of 1953. In the newly proposed draft Tea (Amendment) Rules, 2016, the amendments mainly relate to the role of the chairman and the deputy-chairman of the Tea Board, with the executive powers of the board being vested in the deputy chairman.

“The intention of the government is to consider to bifurcate a non-executive head and an executive functionary full-time so that there is a policy direction…There will probably be a non-executive chairman and CEO,” Teaotia told reporters on the sidelines of an event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here.

The government has sought objections and suggestions from the stakeholders and general public on the draft Tea (Amendment) Rules, 2016.

Teaotia said the government was actively scouting for a “suitable person” as a full-time chairman of the Tea Board. Currently, bureaucrats are appointed as Tea Board chairman. The industry regulator has not had a full-time chief for almost four years now.

Talking to the media, the commerce secretary dismissed reports that the government was planning to shift Tea Board headquarters from Kolkata to Guwahati. “There is no plan or proposal to move the Tea Board to Guwahati,” she added.