ADILABAD: BJP leader P Harish Babu on Sunday alleged that Sirpur BRS MLA Koneru Konappa is the mastermind behind the PDS rice scam in the district. Speaking to the media, the BJP Sirpur-Kaghaznagar constituency in-charge questioned as to why the local officials were ignoring the issue when the Civil Supplies officials from Hyderabad were conducting raids on the rice mills and seizing hundreds of quintals of rice. “It’s nothing but the local officials extending support to the MLA in his corrupt practices,” he said.
“In the last few years, there is a huge scam with regard to the PDS rice distribution and paddy purchasing in the district. Around 40,000 MT of purchased paddy is being sent to rice mills every year to produce custom milled rice (CMR). Out of this, a total of Rs 30 crore to Rs 40 crore worth rice and paddy is being siphoned off,” he claimed.
“Rice is being purchased from the ration shops and sold to Civil Supplies Corporation. These people are looting public money,” he added. While appealing to the district Collector and Civil Supplies officials to investigate issue, he threatened to launch agitations across the district and also to make a complaint to the CBI.