Central Boards

in the USSR: (1) Special offices which are central branch organs of state administration in matters of economic, cultural, and defense development. These offices are established by the Council of Ministers of the USSR (Constitution of the USSR, art. 68, par. f). The councils of ministers of Union and autonomous republics may set up central boards for economic and cultural development. The central boards are directly subordinate to the council of ministers that has established them; the heads of these offices are appointed and relieved of their posts by the corresponding council of ministers. The heads of the central boards are not in the government, with the exception of those central boards under the councils of ministers of Union republics that were established by the supreme soviets of these republics. The functions, rights, and duties of the central boards are determined by each board’s statute, which has been approved by the council of ministers.

As of 1971 central boards under the Council of Ministers of the USSR included those for archives, geodesy and cartography, hydrometeorological services, microbiological industries, foreign tourism, and protection of state secrets in the press.

(2) A subdivision in the structure of ministries, state committees, and other central and local state organs. They are set up by branch of industry, by industry and area, or by function. The central boards (glavki) of an industrial ministry direct the production and technical affairs of the corresponding industrial branches. The production enterprises of a given branch are accountable to the central boards, either directly or through economic associations, such as firms and trusts. The central boards that direct either production or supplies and sales activity may be put on a basis of economic accountability. If the central board performs inspection functions of a general state nature, its statute must be confirmed by the government. Thus, the Council of Ministers of the USSR has confirmed the statutes of such central boards as the Auditing Office of the Ministry of Finances of the USSR, the State Public Health Inspectorate of the USSR (Collection of Decrees of the USSR, 1963, no. 20, p. 199), and the Government Motor Vehicle Inspectorate (Collection of Decrees of the USSR, 1963, no. 19, p. 193).