Amardeep Singh Bhatia, additional secretary in charge of plantations at the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, on Friday sought to allay concerns over the Rubber (Promotion and Development) Bill, 2023.
Addressing a meeting of stakeholders of the rubber sector at Rubber Board headquarters here, Mr. Bhatia said that the concerns regarding the new draft Rubber Bill and the existence of the Rubber Board were baseless and that the activities of the Board would continue as before. “Certain amendments are made in the Bill only to improve the functioning of the Board. The Rubber Bill was formulated after seeking the views of all stakeholders in the rubber sector and the general public,” he said.
Mr. Bhatia added that the fresh round of discussion with the stakeholders was arranged to make the Bill flawless. “Redundant and obsolete provisions in the existing Act need to be removed. Similarly, new provisions should be included to improve the performance of the Rubber Board. The new Bill proposed only some changes that would help provide an enabling environment for the growth of the rubber industry, including rubber cultivation, marketing and manufacturing. Farmers need not worry about the new Bill,” he said.
