Visakhapatnam: A major operation to curb illegal rice exports has uncovered 483 metric tons of Public Distribution System (PDS) rice at Visakhapatnam Port, reportedly ready for smuggling. Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar confirmed the seizure during inspections at a container terminal. Officials are now investigating the case.
This follows a similar incident at Kakinada Port, where 38,000 metric tons of rice, including 640 metric tons meant for PDS, were seized from the West Africa-bound cargo ship Stella L Panama. Allegations of Visakhapatnam becoming a hotspot for rice smuggling have prompted increased surveillance at the port.
Minister Nadendla Manohar revealed that under the previous YSRCP regime, an estimated 38 million metric tons of PDS rice valued at Rs 12,000 crores were illegally exported from Kakinada and Visakhapatnam ports over three years. Preliminary investigations show 70,000 metric tons of rice have been smuggled from Visakhapatnam Port in the last two months alone.
Nadendla Manohar also highlighted plans to intensify inspections at other ports, including Anakapalli. A five-member task force comprising Customs, Police, Revenue, and Civil Supplies officials has been formed to tackle the issue. Illegal PDS rice, intended for the poor, has reportedly been diverted abroad using fake names, with reports of its misuse surfacing globally.
 rice at Visakhapatnam Port.){kind=link}