Abstract

Agriculture – Regulating New plant varieties in accordance with clause 13(1) of the Seeds (Control) Order 1983 – Constitution of High Level Technical Committee – Orders – Issued.

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AGRICULTURE (AP 2) DEPARTMENT

G.OMs.No.13                                                                                     Dated.14.1.2008

                                                                                                            Read:

From the Director of Seed Certification (i/c) Coimbatore letter No.C2/17652/04 dated.9.7.07 and 7.8.2007

ORDER:

            The Director of Seed Certification (i/c) Coimbatore in his letters read above has requested the Government to constitute a High Level Technical Committee under the Chairmanship of Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary to Government, Agriculture Department for regulating new private R & D varieties / hybrids by way of obtaining and verifying all information about the variety/hybrid intended for sale in the Sate, in accordance with clause 13(1) of the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983.  In this regard he has sent proposal indicating the composition of the committee including two non-official members and also the terms of reference of the committee.

            2. The government after careful consideration accept the proposal of the Director of Seed Certification and constitute the High Level Technical Committee as indicated below to regulate the private R & D varieties/hybrids intended for sale in the State so as to safeguard the interest of farming community.

I. OFFICIAL MEMBERS:

1. Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary                         Chairman

    to Government, Agriculture Department, Secretariat, Chennai.9

2. Director of Agriculture, Chepauk, Chennai-5                                     Member

3. Commissioner of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Chennai.5          Member

4. Director, Centre for Plant Protection Studies                                     Member

    Tamilnadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

5. Director, Centre for Plant Breeding and Genetics                               Member

   Tamilnadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

6. Director, Research                                                                            Member

    Tamilnadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

7. Dean, Horticulture College and Research Institute                              Member

    Periyakulam, Theni District

8. Project Coordinator, CICR, Coimbatore                                          Member

9. Director of Seed Certification, Coimbatore.                                      Member Secretary

II. NON OFFICIAL MEMBERS

1. Thiru S. Ganapathy,

    Director of Seed Certification, (Retired)

2. Thiru V. Gopalsamy, Farmer

    Thekkupalayam, Coimbatore

3. The terms of reference of the committee shall be as follows.

   i)       To obtain information from the notified Seed Inspector (JDSCN (T) about the details of varieties/hybrids intended for purchase, storage and sale by the private seed producers/dealers.

ii)         To verify technically and scrutinize the information obtained from notified Seed Inspectors (JDSCN (T) with regard to performance of the variety including yield, Morphological characters, pest and disease incidence etc.

iii)         To advice seed quality control wing functioning under Department of Seed Certification suitably about the private varieties/hybrids which have been technically scrutinized.

iv)        To advice extension officials working under Department of Agriculture and Department of Horticulture about the Private Varieties/Hybrids which have been technically scrutinized.

v)         To advice the seed companies to execute Memorandum of Understanding between the State Government and the company concerned.

4) The committee shall be classified as a first class committee and Traveling Allowances and Daily Allowances of the Non-Official Members of the Committee should be regulated as per G.O.Ms.No.551, Finance (All) dated 3.11.2004.  The Head quarters of the committee shall be at Chennai.

5) The expenditure on the Traveling Allowance and Daily Allowance of the official Members of the committee will be debited on the head of account to which their pay and allowances are debited.  In respect of non-official members the expenditure will be debited to the head of account 2435 Other Agricultural Programmes 01 Marketing and quality control 102- Grading and quality control Facilities I Non plan AF Seed Certification. OA Travel Expenses – 01 Tour Traveling allowances (DPC 2435 01 102 AF 0415)

6) The proceedings of the committee shall be submitted to the Government by the Director of Seed Certification, immediately after every meeting.

7) The Government directs the Director of Seed Certification (i/c) to use the existing equipments for such seed testing and no additional staff / seed testing equipments shall be sanctioned.

8) This order issues with the concurrence of the Finance Department vide its U.O.No.84851/Agriculture/2007 dated 01.01.2008.

/By order of the Governor/

                                                            Sd/ T.S.SRIDHAR

                                                            AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION COMMISSIONER

                                                            AND SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT (i/c)