4Establishment and constitution of the Tea Board

(1) With effect from such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf, there shall be established for the purposes of this Act a Board to be called the Tea Board.

(2) The Board shall be a body corporate by the name aforesaid, having perpetual succession and a common seal, with power to acquire, hold and dispose of property, both movable and immovable, and to contract, and shall by the said name sue and be sued.

(3) The Board shall consist of a Chairman and such number of other members not exceeding forty as the Central Government may think expedient, to be appointed by that Government by notification in the Official Gazette from among persons who are in its opinion capable of representing,

(a) owners of tea estates and gardens and growers of tea;

(b) persons employed in tea estates and gardens;

(c) manufacturers of tea;

(d) dealers including both exporters and internal traders of tea;

(e) consumers;

(f) Parliament;

(g) the Governments of the principal tea-growing States;

(h) such other persons or class of persons, who, in the opinion of the Central Government, ought to be represented on the Board.

¹[(3A) It is hereby declared that the office of member of the Board shall not disqualify its holder for being chosen as, or for being, a member of either House of Parliament.]

(4) The number of persons to be appointed as members from each of the categories specified in subsection (3), the term of office of, the procedure to be followed in the discharge of their functions by, and the manner of filling vacancies among, the members of the Board shall be such as may be prescribed.

(5) Any officer of the Central Government when deputed by that Government in this behalf shall have the right to attend meetings of the Board and take part in the proceedings thereof but shall not be entitled to vote.