The illegal traders who are diverting the government’s rice (PDS) to the poor are getting more and more agitated day by day. PDS rice is being diverted through the Kakinada port. Collector Shan Mohan, who conducted inspections at the port on Wednesday, seized 640 tonnes of PDS rice.
There is no stopping the illegal smuggling of PDS rice. Rice is being diverted from the Anchorage Port in Kakinada to foreign countries. On receiving specific information that rice is being diverted, Kakinada District Collector Shan Mohan conducted surprise inspections at the port on Wednesday.
District Collector Shan Mohan, along with a team of police, port, marine, revenue and civil supplies, sailed for about an hour from the barge dock area and reached the Stella L ship, which was ready to go to West Africa. Samples of the stocks stored in five rooms of the ship were collected.
The suspected items were tested with chemicals on the spot. Kakinada District Collector Shan Mohan said that 38,000 tons of rice were loaded on a ship with a capacity of 52 thousand tons, of which 640 tons were found to be PDS rice.
Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar said that the rice of the poor seized in previous inspections was recently released with a bank guarantee, and the rice stocks seized are still there. The remaining stocks there were said to be boiled rice. He said that a decision will be taken after checking the receipts on PDS rice.
Inspections have been going on for the last 2 days with information about illegal rice smuggling from Kakinada. State Civil Supplies Corporation Chairman Sudheer conducted surprise inspections at the godown in Karapa mandal on Tuesday night. Rice in five lorries was seized.
PDS rice was found in a lorry from Telangana state and samples were sent for testing. Although it is believed that what was seized in both these places was rice for the poor that was recently released with a bank guarantee, suspicions are being expressed that the goods are being moved under that guise.