Cong MP writes to PM on constitution of statutory boards

Accusing the Centre for its "undemocratic approach" towards statutory boards for commercial crops and rendering them "non-functional", Congress MP K C Venugopal today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to constitute the boards for coir, spices, tea and rubber to ensure their smooth operations.
Venugopal, elected as member of the Coir Board by Parliament last year, said posts of the chairman and some nominated members had been lying vacant for the last one-and-a-half year and hence no meetings of the board could be held so far.
The MP said he has written a letter to the Prime Minister urging him to end his government's "undemocratic approach" towards various statutory commercial boards, including the Coir Board.

In his letter, Venugopal said two MPs from Lok Sabha are elected to the Coir Board as per rules framed by Parliament and it was for its better functioning and to address the concerns of people working in the sector.
He alleged that not a single meeting of the Coir Board had been held in the last one year as its committee had not been constituted so far "due to a serious disregard from government" towards it.
"Being the representative of Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency, one of the prime hubs of coir industry in the country, I had been elected to the Coir Board during last year.

"Unfortunately till date the committee has not been constituted and no sittings were held in this regard. It has been reported that the other commercial committees are also undergoing a similar fate," the former Union Minister said.

He said due to lack of any officially constituted committees and sittings it was very difficult for him, as an elected member of the Coir Board, to allay concerns being expressed by the people working in the sector.
Accusing the government of "insulting" Parliament, he said, "This serious disregard from the government towards different commercial boards is an injustice both to the Parliament and to the people working in this sector".

He urged the Prime Minister to take "positive measures" to constitute various commercial bodies to ensure their smooth functioning.