AP Govt seizes 483 tonnes of PDS rice set for export from Visakhapatnam Port

VISAKHAPATNAM : Andhra Pradesh Food and Civil Supplies Department has seized 483 tonnes of rice meant for Public Distribution System (PDS) from the Visakhapatnam Port.

The rice was seized from the Container Freight Station in the port in a surprise check conducted by Shri N Manohar, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies on Monday evening.  

As the Government stopped up vigil on the Kakinada Port for the last two months, illegal exporters were now exporting rice illegally from the Visakhapatnam Port, the Minister said adding that a probe is currently underway on the illegal export from the Vizag port too.

The district administration would also conduct checks in Anekapalli district to prevent illegal hoarding and export of PDS rice, Manohar said.

The State Government had already ordered a probe into the illegal export of rice from Kakinada port after a West-Africa bound cargo ship Stella L Panama was seized with 38,000 metric tonnes of rice at Kakinada Anchorage Port by Deputy Chief Minister Shri K. Pawan Kalyan last month.