AAjithkumar, 1994 IAS Cadre and secretary to the Kerala Governor, has been appointed as the new chair of the Rubber Board.
The post of Rubber Board chairman has remained vacant for almost one and a half years even after the state and political parties had made repeated requests to the central government to name a permanent officer to the said position.
The position was managed by an interim appointment after Sheela Thomas left the post on September 14, 2014. Now, Ajithkumar will remain in office until he retires from service on May 31, 2018.
Ajithkumar was Collector of Kottayam and he has received accolades as a model collector.He has also served as secretary in the departments of Education, Housing, Cooperatives and had been secretary to former central minister Vayalar Ravi. He also currently holds the responsibility of Commissioner of the GuruvayoorDevaswom.
Ajithkumar vows to transform theorganisation to support the farmers. The appointment is a significant one because Ajithkumar has been closely associated with the issues of rubber farmers and it comes at a time when rubber cultivation in the state is facing a crisis. He claimed that he has in-depth knowledge about the relation between the state’s economics and the role of the rubber farmer.
Source: Manorama