New chairman - Tea Board crisis ends

by Lalin Fernandopulle

The crisis in the Tea Board came to an end last week with the appointment of the new chairman by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

President Rajapaksa had directed the Minister of Plantations Industries, Milroy Fernando to appoint Lalith Hettiarachchi as the new Chairman of the Tea Board to succeed B.A.C. Abeywardena.

Despite orders from the President to resign, Abeywardena continued to remain as chairman saying that his term had not expired and that no one could remove him from office without reason.

Abeywardena who assumed duties last year said according to the Tea Board regulations the term of office of a chairman is for five years and that one could be removed prior to that only by the Minister for bringing disrepute to the Board.

When asked whether there were any accusations against him, he said he had not brought the Tea Board into disrepute but it were some tea exporters who had accused him of increasing the price of tea since they had to pay more to purchase it from auctions.

Abeywardena said he increased the average price of a Kilogram of tea from Rs. 175 to Rs. 275 and was able to bring Rs. 30 million foreign exchange during the first nine months of this year.

"I will not give up but fight my way to be reinstated in the position. The members of the Tea Board are unhappy with the decision of the Minister and they are ready to agitate," he said.

The tea industry personnel accused Abeywardena of suspending work of the Director General of the Tea Board, H. Hemaratne on false allegations.

Abeywardena said with regard to Hemaratne, he only acted according to the instructions from the President's Office to hold an inquiry against him for misusing tsunami funds and he acted accordingly.

Hemaratne said "I was asked to go on indefinite compulsory leave by Abeywardena on a false accusation".

The accusation was a plot to remove me since I stuck to principles and did what was right. It is unfair to accuse me without sufficient reason and to treat me in this manner, he said.

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