Reiterating that the fiasco at Kakinada Port has brought the inefficiency of the coalition government to the fore, former Minister Ambati Rambabu said if smuggling of PDS rice cannot be stopped it is the failure of the State.
Speaking to media, Rambabu said, Kakinada is full of Jana Sena leaders, from Deputy Chief Minister to Civil Supplies Minister to local MLA, Civil Supplies Corporation Chairman and still they are blaming that smuggling of PDS rice is going on unabated which sounds ridiculous.
They have brought in the name of Aurobindo group alleging that after it took over, smuggling activity has gone up in the port. In fact, Aurobindo’s interest with 41 per cent share is in Kakinada deep sea port and the one in discussion is second port in Kakinada which is the anchor port, he said.
States like Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Odisha send their stock through this anchor port as it is cost effective and thousands of families are dependant as there is a big workforce at the anchor port where Pawan Kalyan enacted the seize the ship episode. The PDS rice was seized by the Collector the previous day.
If rice is going out despite three check-posts of Civil Supplies Department, whom to blame and how is the ring of corruption moving on, he asked adding that commission rates have gone up after Pawan Kalyan’s visit to the Port.
Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar says there has smuggling of PDS rice from this port which is unabated, it is the duty of his ministry and check and seize the material. The top exporter of rice in the State is the kin of State Finance Minister and his ship is anchored in high seas half loaded. If they have guts let them search the ship for PDS rice, he challenged.
Meanwhile, former Minister Perni Nani echoed the same points in a separate press conference and said why Pawan Kalyan and the Collector did not inspect the second vessel Ken Star which is anchored in the same port and enacted the drama at the vessel Stella. There are 36 exporters for 35,000 tons in Stella.
However, Ken Star vessel belongs to the kin of Payyavula Kesavulu and a single person is exporting 42,000 tons, he said.
