Calcutta, May 4: After a gap of four years, the Centre has appointed Prabhat Kumar Bezboruah as the full-time chairman of the Tea Board.

He will be in office till November 1, 2018.

The appointments committee of the cabinet has approved Bezboruah, an order issued by the department of personnel and training said.

M.G.K.V. Bhanu was the last full-time chairman of the board from November 2011 to December 2013. Siddharth, a career bureaucrat, took over from Bhanu as the temporary chairman.

Santosh Sarangi, a joint secretary in the commerce ministry, became the chief in June 2015.

The Centre had redefined the administrative powers of the two top officials of the Tea Board through a notification to all the industry stakeholders in October.

After the tweak, the deputy chairman became the executive head, while the chairman was merely a titular head.

The industry, for long, has been demanding a permanent chairman for the apex tea body. However, according to a planter, "Since he (the chairman) is a powerless head now and would be only presiding over meetings, I don't think it would help the industry too much."

At present, Bezboruah is the chairman of the Tea Research Association and owner of Bokahola Tea Company Private Limited, which manages around 12 gardens in Assam with an annual production of about 55 lakh kg.

"I have been associated with the tea industry for 29 years and the Centre was looking for someone with experience. Hence, although I would not have much of the executive powers, I will be able to put forward the opinions of the industry to the board and provide some guidance in their decisions," Bezboruah told The Telegraph.

"I do not intend to move the headquarters to Assam from Calcutta but what I will focus on is to strengthen the Tea Board set-up in Assam as the state is the largest tea producer in the country, Bezboruah added.

Santosh Sarangi will remain the deputy chairman of Tea Board till further notice.

Meanwhile, M.S. Boje Gowda has been appointed the chairman of the Coffee Board.