Minister for Civil Supplies Nadendla Manohar said that many things came to light during Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan’s visit to Kakinada Port and that smuggling was taking place there threatening national security.
He said that the state government is providing ration rice to the people with Rs. 12,800 crore, and 51,427 metric tons of rice have been seized in inspections in Kakinada alone. He said that cases have been filed against 13 companies and action has been ordered to be taken.
With this, they went to court and got orders for the release of rice. The minister said that the rice was returned after paying a price of 43.50 kg from them. He deplored that there is a situation where no one knows what is really happening in Kakinada.
Minister Manohar said that no one has gone to Kakinada port in the last five years. He accused Jagan was the CM, 969 vehicles were purchased in the name of door delivery and Rs. 16,000 crores were wasted. He said that earlier, distribution through ration shops used to last for fifteen days.
Manohar accused that a network was set up through these vans district-wise, and ration rice was being bought from the people at a price of Rs 10 per kilo and sent for smuggling. The minister said that rice export from Kakinada port was good.
He recalled that the previous government had taken the port from Aurobindo and exported too much rice. 23,51,218 metric tons were sent from Krishnapatnam and 38,2000 metric tons from Visakhapatnam. 1 crore 30,18,400 metric tons of rice were exported from Kakinada port.
Thus, he said that rice worth Rs. 48,537 crore was exported. He made it clear that they will expose who is behind this scam. If the corruption of so many crores has taken place, should we believe it if the previous rulers did not know?, he asked. If they really do not know, he wondered, is it not the incompetence of the government for the last five years?
Manohar said that the ration rice mafia had flared up during Jagan’s tenure and questioned why Jagan took control of the port? Alleging that by threatening and intimidation Aurobindo was brought here, he asserted that this ration mafia should be completely stopped.