TAMILNADU   FOREST   PLANTATION   CORPORATION   LIMITED

(A Govt. of Tamilnadu Undertaking)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INFORMATION HAND BOOK

OF

 TAMILNADU FOREST PLANTATION CORPORATION LIMITED (TAFCORN)

 

(UNDER RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regd.Office : Karur Main Road, Tiruchirapalli – 620 101.

25th October, 2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER – 1

 

Introduction

 

1.1  Background

 

This handbook is published under the RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005 BY TAMILNADU FOREST PLANTATION CORPORATION LIMITED                            (A GOVERNMENT OF TAMILNADU UNDERTAKING) (hereafter called as TAFCORN), which is made accessible to common people through the media of books, notice boards, and departmental libraries and through Internet as envisaged in the ACT.

 

1.2 Objective / purpose of this handbook

 

The objective of this handbook is to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of TAFCORN in order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of the TAFCORN and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

 

1.3 Intended users of this handbook

 

i)                All the Industries/Public who purchase Eucalyptus, Casuarina, Bamboo and other miscellaneous wood from the Corporation.

ii)              All the Cashew Traders / Merchants who purchase Cashew nuts and Cashew usufruct.

iii)            All common people particularly farmers /cultivators / planters etc who wants to get information regarding cultivation practices of above species.

iv)             All the general public and Departments/ Institutions who purchase Eucalyptus Clonal seedlings / Cashew grafts / Gooseberry grafts.

v)               All the Institutions /Departments, who wants to avail the consultancy services of the Corporation.

 

 

 

1.4 Organisation of the information in this handbook

 

Chapters
Information

Page No.

1.

Introduction

2

2.

Organisation, Functions and Duties

6

3.

Powers and Duties of Officers and Employees

29

4.

Procedure followed in decision making process

32

5.

Norms set for the Discharge of Functions

33

6.

Rules, Regulations, Instructions, Manual and Records

33

7.

Categories of document held by TAFCORN

34

8.

Arrangement for Consultation with, or representation by, the Members of the Public in relation to the Formulation of Policy or implementation thereof.

 

34

9.

Boards, Councils, Committees and other bodies

Constituted as part of Public Authority.

 

34

10.

Directory of Officers and Employees.

 

36

11.

Monthly Remuneration received by Officers and Employees.

 

39

12.

Budget allocated to each Agency including Plans etc.

 

41

13.

Manner of Execution of Subsidy Programme.

 

44

14.

Recipients of Concessions, Permits or Authorization granted by the Public Authority.

 

44

15.

Information available in Electronic Form.

 

45

16.

Facilities available to Citizens for obtaining information.

 

45

17.

Name, Designation and other particulars of Public Information Officers

 

46

18.

Other useful information.

 

47

 

 

                                                                                        

                                               

1.5 Definitions

In these articles, unless the context otherwise requires

(a)   “Board” means the Board of Directors:

(b)  “Company” means the Tamil Nadu Forest Plantation Corporation Limited.

(c)   “Directors” mean the Directors for the time being of the Company.

(d)  “Dividend” includes bonus.

(e)   “Government” means the Government of Tamilnadu.

(f)    “Member” means the duly registered holder from time to time of the shares of the

       Company.

 

(g)   “Month” means Calendar month.

(h)   “Persons” includes corporations as well as individuals.

(i)    “Share” means share in the share capital of the Company.

 

1.6 Contact person in case some body wants to get more information on topics covered in the handbook as well as other information also.

For getting more information, Public Information Officer of this office as mentioned under Chapter 17 may please be contacted.

                  

1.7 Procedure and Fee Structure for getting information

I.          Fees- Every application for obtaining information under sub section (1) of Section  6 of the Act shall be accompanied by an application fee of rupees fifty by cash or by demand draft or banker’s cheque payable in the head of account, as may be specified by the public Authority.

II.         For providing information under sub section (1) of Section 7 of the Act, a fee shall be charged by way of cash against proper receipt or by demand draft or bankers cheque payable in the head of account, as specified below:

1.     Rupees two for each page (in A4 or A3 size paper) created or copied

2.     Actual charge or cost price of a copy in largest size paper

3.     Actual cost or price for samples or models; and

4.     for inspection of records,  no fee for the first hour and a fee of rupees five for each fifteen minutes (or fraction thereof) thereafter.

III. For providing the information under sub section (5) of Section 7, the fee shall be charged by way of cash against proper receipt or by demand draft or banker’s cheque in the head of account as specified below;

i.          for information provided in diskette or floppy rupees fifty per diskette or floppy and

ii.        for information provided in permitted form at the price fixed for publication.

Fees shall be credited under the following head of account.

“1.1711 Miscellaneous Receipts – collection of fees under Tamil Nadu Information Rules 2005”.

 

            The Public Information Officer shall receive the cash or Demand Draft from the applicant and arrange to remit the fee under the above head of account in the Banks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER – 2

(Manual – I)

Organization, Functions and Duties

(Manual under Section 4(1)(b)(i) )

Organisation

Tamilnadu Forest Plantation Corporation Limited was established on 13.06.1974 with headquarters at Tiruchirapalli under Indian Companies Act, 1956.  The Government of Tamilnadu wholly owns the Corporation.  The Corporation manages about 75000 hectares forest area obtained on lease from the Tamilnadu Forest Department.  The Forests include Reserved Forests and Protected Forests constituted under Tamilnadu Forest Act, 1882.

Registered Office at Trichy

           

It is an organization under corporate sector, governed by a Board of Directors with 8 members including a Chairman as the apex body.  The Board, an Apex Body, controls the activities of the Corporation.  The constitution of the Board is as follows,

 

1. Chairman                 - Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests

   (Full time)

2. Director                   - Secretary to Government, Environment & Forests Department.

 

3. Director                   - Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests

                                                                        (Forest Administration)

4. Director                - Commissioner of Horticulture & Plantation Crops Department.        

 

5. Director                   - Joint Director, Finance (BPE) Department.    

 

6. Director                - Deputy Secretary to Government, Industries Department.

 

7. Director                   - Managing Director - Additional Principal Chief Conservator of

                                                                           Forests.

8. Director                   - Joint Managing Director – Chief Conservator of Forests.

 The Corporation is administered and managed by Managing Director in the rank of Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests on deputation from Tamilnadu Forest Department.  The Corporation has nine unit officers heading 6 Regions, one Sandalwood Factory, a Flying Squad and recently added a Farm (Melchengam farm, taken over on                        17-05-2006 from Tamilnadu Forest Department) working directly under the control of Managing Director.  A Joint Managing Director and a General Manager on deputation from Tamilnadu Forest Department assist the Managing Director. In addition, one Chief Accounts Officer & Financial Advisor, an Administrative Officer, one Senior Drafting Officer and a Computer Programmer assist the Managing Director on financial matters, establishment, technical aspects and computerization respectively.

A brief Organization chart is given below


 


The Registered office of TAFCORN is located at Trichirapalli. The plantations are raised in 186 Reserved Forest lands spread over 9 districts namely Trichirapalli, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Perambalur, Karur, Sivaganga, Cuddalore, Villupuram and Thiruvannamalai districts of Tamilnadu.  These areas are divided into six Plantation Regions namely Pudukottai, Aranthangi, Karaikudi, Vridhachalam, Villupuram and Thirukoilur.  A Regional Manager for Technical as well as Administrative charges heads each region.  In addition, the Corporation has a unit of Sandalwood Products Factory at Thekkupattu in Vellore district under the supervision of a Works Manager.  The factory is under Corporation management on lease basis from the Tamilnadu Forest Department.  The TAFCORN has taken charge of Melchengam Farm from the Tamilnadu Forest Department (Thirupathur Division) on 17-05-2006 and an officer in the rank of Assistant Conservator of Forests is posted in Farm as Farm Manager both for technical as well as administrative charges.   The Corporation also has a Flying Squad under one Assistant Conservator of Forests.  The Managing Director exercises administrative, financial and operational control over the Regional Managers / Works Manager / Farm manager / Flying Squad.  The plantation regions as well as Melchengam Farm have basic units of protection and management called as Ranges manned by Ranger.  The statement showing details of TAFCORN area, Region-wise/Farm wise/ Species-wise is given below:

I. Area details as per Existing Agreement

Area under existing agreement                                                             ...  75,568.24 ha.

* Area covered by Encroachment, washed out by floods etc.,              ...   1,442.47 ha.

                                                                                                          - - - - - - - - - - -

                                                      Total                                 ...  77,010.71 ha.     

                                                                                                         - - - - - - - - - - -

II. Area details of Melchangam Farm

  TAFCORN has taken charge of the Farm on 17-05-06                            3904.00 Ha

                                                            Grand Total                        80914.71 Ha.     

III.  Present condition

 

Opening balance                                                                              ...   80,914.71  ha.

* Area covered by Encroachment, washed out by floods etc.,             ...(-) 1,442.47  ha.

 

Subsequently handed over back to Forest Department for

                         various purpose  during the period                            ... (-) 4,073.39  ha.

 

Area under Natural Forests(N.F) in Karaikudi Region                        ... (-)    481.85  ha.

                                                                                                           - - - - - - - - - - -

                                                                   Net area                              ...    74,917.00 ha. 

                                                                                                          - - - - - - - - - - -

 

 

Statement showing details of the area in Region/Farm wise/species wise

 

Sl.

No

Name of Region/ Farm

Total area

In ha.

Plantations (Area in Ha.)

Area not under

Plantations such as rocky,

stream eroded

area in ha.

Eucalyptus

Cashew

Casua-rina

Nelli

Teak

Others e.g Bamboo, Tamarind Mango, etc

Total

 

1.

ARANTHANGI

8766.88

6535.40

1532.44

227.71

84.00

-

76.24

8455.79

311.09

2.

KARAIKUDI

12964.96

+ (481.85 NF)

8477.91

3600.88

-

66.00

-

454.88

12599.67

365.29

3.

PUDUKKOTTAI

12001.16

7694.91

1313.72

910.35

22.00

59.55

120.13

10120.66

1880.47

4.

TIRUKOILUR

13654.24

12568.55

91.72

-

80.00

-

157.04

12897.31

756.93

5.

VILLUPURAM

11766.76

7576.47

2510.04

-

61.00

-

789.36

10936.87

829.89

6.

VRIDHCHALAM

11859.00

2040.44

9504.06

-

71.00

-

224.08

11839.58

19.42

 

7.

MELCHENGAM FARM

3904.00

67.00

251.00

-

-