<p>The Bengaluru-headquartered Coffee Board of India has been rendered ‘Chairman-less’, since its head, Leena Nair, was transferred as Secretary for Ministry of Women and Child Development, New Delhi.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Nair, a 1982 batch IAS officer from Tamil Nadu cadre, was given additional charge of Chairman, Coffee Board, following the completion of the 5-year tenure of the then incumbent Chairman Jawaid Akhtar, in May 2015. Nair was also Chairman of Marine Products Export Development Authority (Mpeda), along with additional portfolio Coffee Board.<br /><br />Deccan Herald, on contacting Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia’s office, learnt that there has been no appointment in this regard so far. “There has been no update on the appointment till date,” an official from Ministry of Commerce said. “We don’t know when will the appointment happen, but it is in the hands of senior officials to appoint the Chairman,” the official added.<br /><br />Coffee Board has been functioning without a full-time Chairman for almost a year now, since Akhtar’s term ended. For now, M Chandrasekar, Secretary of Coffee Board, is in charge of affairs.<br /><br />Coffee exports, during Akhtar’s tenure, had hit a record 299,288 metric tonnes (MT) in 2012-13, which marginally came down to 299,178 MT in 2013-14, as per the data available on the Coffee Board website. The number further declined to 283,320 MT in the 2014-15, as per the data available on the website.<br /> </p>
<p>The Bengaluru-headquartered Coffee Board of India has been rendered ‘Chairman-less’, since its head, Leena Nair, was transferred as Secretary for Ministry of Women and Child Development, New Delhi.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Nair, a 1982 batch IAS officer from Tamil Nadu cadre, was given additional charge of Chairman, Coffee Board, following the completion of the 5-year tenure of the then incumbent Chairman Jawaid Akhtar, in May 2015. Nair was also Chairman of Marine Products Export Development Authority (Mpeda), along with additional portfolio Coffee Board.<br /><br />Deccan Herald, on contacting Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia’s office, learnt that there has been no appointment in this regard so far. “There has been no update on the appointment till date,” an official from Ministry of Commerce said. “We don’t know when will the appointment happen, but it is in the hands of senior officials to appoint the Chairman,” the official added.<br /><br />Coffee Board has been functioning without a full-time Chairman for almost a year now, since Akhtar’s term ended. For now, M Chandrasekar, Secretary of Coffee Board, is in charge of affairs.<br /><br />Coffee exports, during Akhtar’s tenure, had hit a record 299,288 metric tonnes (MT) in 2012-13, which marginally came down to 299,178 MT in 2013-14, as per the data available on the Coffee Board website. The number further declined to 283,320 MT in the 2014-15, as per the data available on the website.<br /> </p>