VISAKHAPATNAM: In a continued crackdown on smuggling of Public Distribution System (PDS) rice, 483 metric tonnes of rice was seized at the container freight station near the Vizag Port.
This happened during the surprise inspection of Minister for Civil Supplies Nadendla Manohar on Monday.
Following the allegations that Vizag had become the gateway of smuggling PDS rice, he conducted surprise checks at the port, and the special teams found a container with 483 metric tonnes of PDS rice ready to be exported at the freight station.
Later addressing the media, the Minister said, “As the vigil has been increased at Kakinada Port, we have learnt that over 70,000 metric tonnes of PDS rice has been smuggled in the past two months from Vizag Port as the smugglers have changed their base.
Alleging that the PDS rice smuggling was rampant during YSRCP regime, he said over 1.38 crore metric tonnes of rice was illegally exported from Kakinada Port, and 36,000 metric tonnes from Vizag Port and rice worth Rs 12,000 crore was smuggled in the past three years.
The Joint Collector of Visakhapatnam was alerted in this regard, and raids will be conducted based on verified information only, Manohar said.
The PDS rice meant to be supplied to 1.48 crore beneficiaries was diverted and exported to foreign countries, tarnishing the image of AP. Both the State and Central governments will intensify vigil and prevent PDS rice smuggling, he said.