VIJAYAWADA: Amid the ongoing war of words between the Opposition TDP and ruling YSR Congress over the allegations of large-scale exports of PDS rice from Kakinada port, TDP politburo member Varla Ramaiah on Sunday urged the Additional DGs of Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Vigilance & Enforcement to order a detailed inquiry into the large-scale "smuggling" of PDS rice to foreign countries through the Kakinada port.
In separate letters addressed to the ACB and V&E Additional DGs, Ramaiah stressed the need for an in-depth investigation into the sudden and suspicious surge in rice exports from the Kakinada seaport in East Godavari district.
The TDP leader said that there were reports of involvement of the ruling YSRC leaders in the massive corruption surrounding rice smuggling. The PDS rice has been specially introduced to cater to the economically weaker sections and to eliminate their hunger.
However, the PDS rice mafia has been 'illegally diverting' the ration rice, affecting the below poverty line (BPL) families. "Such a large quantity of rice would be available only through accumulating PDS rice. The sudden surge in the quantity of rice export, in spite of the COVID pandemic, is possible only due to a large-scale smuggling of PDS rice," he alleged.
Earlier, the TDP had alleged that Kakinada MLA Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar Reddy was involved in the illegal activity. However, the YSR Congress MLA refuted the same. Chandrasekhar Reddy clarified broken and boiled rice are being exported to African countries.
"Kakinada port does not collect demurrage charges to export and import and that is why Kakinada port is attractive to international export and import companies," he maintained.