Ganji Kamala Vardhana Rao (47) assumed charge as the chairman of the Tobacco Board.

Earlier he was the private secretary of the union minister of state for human resources development, Purandeswari, the Hindu Times reports. Rao told reporters that his priority would be to strengthen the delivery mechanism of various welfare schemes initiated by the board to help farmers. Funds from the Tobacco Growers' Welfare Fund would be utilised to help farmers and new welfare schemes evolved for the benefit of tobacco ryots, he said. On the increasing trend of farmers exceeding the annual crop size, Rao said that the board would act sternly and also take measures to peg the crop size at 170 million kg in Andhra Pradesh as authorised by the government. He added that the e-auction system introduced as a pilot scheme in Jangareddygudem in Andhra Pradesh and Hosur in Karnataka would be introduced at several auction centres from this year. (pi)