Former Tobacco Board chief put on 'compulsory wait'

Senior IAS officer and Chairman of Tobacco Board K Gopal was today put on "compulsory wait", in further action against him for showing "lack of sensitivity" by travelling to Italy when tobacco farmers were committing suicides.
"The competent authority has approved placing Dr K Gopal, an 1992 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, on compulsory wait in the Department of Personnel and Training with immediate effect and until further orders," said a brief government order.
Gopal was earlier asked to go on leave on September 16 this year after Minister of State (Independent charge) Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took cognizance of his absence when she held a review meeting amid incidents of suicide by debt-ridden tobacco farmers.

His visit to Italy in the midst of the crisis was seen by the government as showing "lack of sensitivity to the farmers' issues".
The four-decade old Tobacco Board was set up under the Commerce and Industries ministry at Guntur in Andhra Pradesh to recognise the need to regulate production, promote overseas marketing and control recurring instances of imbalances in supply and demand, which lead to market problems.