ONGOLE: The Prakasam district authorities have seized a total of 3,585 quintals (3,56,400 kilograms) of illegally stored or transported rice meant for Public Distribution System (PDS) in a series of raids conducted over the past month.
The crackdown, led by the Civil Supplies Department in coordination with local revenue and enforcement officials, aims to curb the rampant black marketing of subsidised rice meant for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.
On Monday night, following orders from Joint Collector (JC) R Gopalakrishna, Yerragondapalem Tahsildar Bala Kishore and his team raided a secret storage facility in Yerragondapalem. They seized 11 quintals of PDS rice, along with 12 packets of red gram and 20 kilograms of loose red gram. A 6(A) case was registered against Abdul Jabeebullah, who allegedly intended to sell the stock on the black market.
Apart from seizing the PDS rice in significant quantities, the officials also booked 6(A) cases against 75 ration shop dealers for stock discrepancies and 42 individuals caught red-handed smuggling PDS rice through various means.
Speaking to newsmen, District Supply Officer (DSO) S Padma Sri said, “On the directives of District Collector Thameem Ansariya and Joint Collector R Gopalakrishna, we have intensified raids on unauthorized storage facilities, rice mills, and suspicious stock points. This effort is part of a broader initiative to ensure that PDS rice reaches its intended beneficiaries among the weaker sections of society.”
She emphasised the commitment of the district administration to continue these efforts. “There is no undue pressure on our activities, and we have full support from higher officials to curb this menace,” she added.