“Govt. will clamp down the PDS rice smuggling, only support legal rice exports”: Andhra Minister Nadendla Manohar

Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar has stated the state government will support legal rice exports and clamp down the (Public Distribution system) PDS rice smuggling.
In a review meeting with Joint Collectors and Civil Supplies officials from Kakinada, Visakhapatnam, and Nellore districts at the Secretariat on Wednesday, Manohar asserted that there is an urgency to take strict action against the illegal rice exports. He instructed to set up the permanent check-posts around the ports of Kakinada, Visakhapatnam, and Krishnapatnam along with a staff to keep track of rice transportation movements.

Furthermore, he added: “Exporters will be allowed to operate legally but illegal exports and black marketing of subsidized PDS rice will not be tolerated”.

Moreover, he directed the Civil Supplies Vigilance and Enforcement authorities to increase field inspections and to examine further control points along the National Highways.
“The main objective of the state government is to maintain the transparency  within the legal rice exports and to eliminate PDS rice smuggling”, the Minister said, adding that any black marketing of subsidised PDS rice that is meant to be for poor, would not be tolerated and will be dealt with stringent actions.

In addition to this, he explained the data of illegal rice exports cases in Kakinada district, in which 21 out of 85 cases from the port area and 9 out of 92 cases from the port zone of Visakhapatnam district whereas 6 were found from Krishnapatnam port, out of 62 total cases of Nellore district.

Additionally, he ordered the authorities to register the smuggling cases under just Section 6A cases under the Essential Commodities Act, the PD Act and relevant Sections under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) to eradicate the illegal activities within the state.