Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Polit Bureau member Varla Ramaiah has urged the Additional DGs of the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Vigilance & Enforcement (V&E) to conduct a thorough inquiry into the alleged large-scale smuggling of PDS rice to foreign countries through the Kakinada port.
In separate letters to the officials on Sunday, Mr. Ramaiah stressed the need for an in-depth investigation into the “sudden and suspicious surge” in rice exports from the port in East Godavari district.
Mr. Ramaiah urged the officials to have a closer look at the data pertaining to the exports of rice from the port to destinations abroad.
The data available in the website of the Agricultural Products Exports Development Authority showed that rice exports from the Kakinada port had increased from 18.90 lakh tonne (worth ₹4,483 crore) during 2018-19 to 31.51 lakh tonne (worth ₹7,972 crore) during 2020-21.
The exports touched 30.30 lakh tonne worth ₹7,710 crore by 2021-22 (till November). The APEDA data further showed that the rice exports from the port increased by 10.13 lakh tonne to five West African countries by 2020-21 when compared to 2018-19.
“The spurt in the quantum of rice exports, in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, is possible only due to large-scale smuggling,” he alleged. “Certain ruling YSRCP leaders are allegedly involved in the racket,” he alleged.
