“₹45,000 Crore worth of rice smuggled via Kakinada Port over 5 years”: AP Minister

KAKINADA : Rice worth ₹45,000 crore was `illegally’ exported from Kakinada Port to Africa in the last five years, according to N Manohar, Minister for Civil Supplies, Food and Consumer Affairs, Government of Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing a press conference, the Minister for Civil Supplies, Food and Consumer Affairs, accused the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government of bringing infamy to the port, located in Kakinada district, and turning it into a “smuggling den”.

“In the past three fiscal years, Rs 48,537 crore worth of rice was exported from Kakinada Port alone, indicating the scale of the rice mafia. People need to understand this,” Manohar said.

According to the minister, a network was formed stretching from Chittoor to Srikakulam to profit from illegal rice exports, which allegedly involved creating green channels to move the cereal to the port.

Manohar also claimed that rice was illegally exported to African countries, with no other port exporting as much rice as Kakinada Port. Moreover, Manohar said that the NDA government is working to “dismantle the rice mafia” and promised not to spare any powerful figures behind it.