483 metric tonnes of PDS rice seized at Vizag port

Ration rice, weighing 483 metric tonnes, was seized by special teams at the Visakhapatnam port on 9 December. The rice was kept ready at the container freight station of the port for export, according to Food and Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar.

The Minister, who made a surprise visit to the Visakhapatnam port, found a diversion of PDS rice on a big scale from the port.

Later, talking to the media, the Minister said the rice smugglers had shifted their base to Vizag as vigil stepped up at the Kakinada port. Over 70,000 metric tonnes of rice was diverted from the Vizag port in the last two months, said the Minister.

The Joint Collector was alerted on the clandestine operation at the recent review meet and after gathering information from reliable sources, the checks were conducted, he added.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was set up to curb the rice smuggling menace, Nadendla Manohar said adding that a report on the rice seizure would be submitted to the team. Checks would be conducted in Anakapalle also, he revealed.

“A sum of about Rs. 12,800 crore is being spent on different measures to curb the smuggling activity and we will check the clandestine operation at any cost,” said the Minister.

The Minister alleged that 1.38 crore metric tonnes of rice from the Kakinada port and 36,000 metric tonnes from the Vizag port were exported in three years during the YSRCP regime.

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This article is written by Senior Journalist Lakkoju Nagesh Babu