Political mafia new avatar of PDS rice smugglers

Kakinada: While smuggling of public distribution system (PDS) rice by millers and PDS dealers had once been common, it has now got curbed to a large extent by introduction of biometric system at PDS outlets.

However, smuggling of rice being supplied to poor among people has now been taken over by politically backed individuals. Their mafia have formed illegal networks through which they procure hundreds of tonnes of ration rice from beneficiaries belonging to each and every ward and colony of Khammam and neighbouring mandals. PDS rice thus collected is being stored in small sheds amid fields particularly in Madhira, Vemsoor, Sattupalli, Kallur and Penuballi mandals, which border Andhra Pradesh.

From here, this PDS rice gets transported to neighbouring AP with police and staff at border check posts turning a blind eye. The same rice is even exported abroad, including Africa, through the Kakinada port.

Sources disclosed to Deccan Chronicle that hundreds of youth in villages of Khammam have been recruited to collect rice from individual beneficiaries at the rate of Rs 5 to Rs 8 per kilo. Using two-wheelers, these youth transport the rice thus collected to sheds located amidst fields along the AP-Telangana border. Once 15-20 tonnes of rice get accumulated, the consignment is transported in trucks to AP. It is suspected that these trucks pass through Chintalapudi in West Godavari district.

N. Appa Rao, a social activist from Nagulavancha in Chintakani mandal, said, “No police or vigilance officials can object to shifting of rice on two-wheelers. I myself have noticed tens of people transporting PDS rice on two-wheelers.”
According to an estimate, around 10 politically connected people and musclemen are involved in transporting rice illegally from Khammam town. Another 25 smugglers are stationed in various mandals. Whenever the quantity touches a lorry load, these people transport the rice to Kakinada, where exporters buy the rice for around Rs 20 per kg. A syndicate of these exporters pays lakhs of rupees to silence police and officials in their area. Exporters ship the rice abroad, particularly to African countries, where it is sold for approximately Rs 30 a kg.

Sources said two ships with a capacity of 2,000 tonnes transport the rice abroad from Kakinada every month.

Nearly 1.79 lakh quintals of PDS rice is being distributed to 4.16 ration cardholders in Khammam district. Ten percent of it is reportedly being smuggled to Kakinada. Telangana Rice Millers Association vice-president Bomma Rajeswara Rao said, “It is a fact that dons have now entered the illegal rice business. A few rice millers too are involved in this racket,” he confessed.