The Commerce Ministry has asked the Tobacco Board Chairman to proceed on leave with immediate effect after he was allegedly found to have gone abroad in the midst of suicide of tobacco farmers.
Taking a serious note of suicides of some tobacco farmers from Andhra Pradesh due to debt, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry (Independent Charge) Nirmala Sitharaman reviewed the situation in the wake of suicides, an official release said today.
"The Commerce and Industry Minister took cognisance of the absence of the Tobacco Board Chairman and his visit to Italy during a crisis which shows lack of sensitivity to farmers' issues," the release said.
"He has been asked to proceed on leave with immediate effect as on September 15, 2015 until further orders. The Department of Commerce is taking immediate steps to put a senior officer in additional charge as Chairman of the Tobacco Board," the release said.
The Union Minister also noted that out of 172 million kg of tobacco in Andhra Pradesh, 142.6 million kg has been purchased until September 14.
"The Commerce and Industry Minister has directed the Tobacco Board to take immediate steps to facilitate disposal of balance quantity of 30 million kg by the end of September, 2015," the release said.
Sitharaman, a Rajya Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh, is scheduled to visit families of tobacco farmers who committed suicide, the release said.
