Former CM Chandrababu Naidu writes to MK Stalin over PDS rice smuggling across Andhra-TN border
India Today
Former Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu has written to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin over concerns about the increase in the smuggling of Public Distribution System (PDS) rice across the Andhra-Tamil Nadu border
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and President of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Chandrababu Naidu has written to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister about his concern about the smuggling of Public Distribution System (PDS) rice which is given via ration shops for the poor.
Chandrababu Naidu said that the lack of vigilance between Andhra and Tamil Nadu is being used by rice smugglers to smuggle PDS earmarked rice.
In his letter he said, "Welfare programmes in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are being snatched away by the rice smuggling mafia across the two states’ borders. The smugglers are using lack of vigilance on the Andhra-Tamil Nadu border and are smuggling PDS rice earmarked for the benefit of the poor."
“The smugglers are transporting PDS rice from Tamil Nadu to Andhra Pradesh. The smuggled PDS rice is sent to the rice millers in Andhra Pradesh. The rice millers in turn polish the rice and send it back to their smuggling partners, who in turn sell it at higher prices to the people in the open market or smuggle it to Karnataka. The PDS rice is illegally procured at a low price and is sold at around Rs 40 per kilo on the open market," said the TDP chief.
Chandrababu Naidu also listed the routes taken by the PDS rice smuggling mafia from Tamil Nadu to Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh.
The areas are Pernambut (Tamil Nadu) to Nayakaneri, V Kota mandal; Vaniyambadi via Thumberi-Koot road to Arimanipenta, Balla; Thimmampeta, Peddavanka, Nayanuru; Kanaka Nachiamman Temple to Nayanuru Kangundi; Gandhi Nagar, Natrampalli, Tamil Nadu to Gundlamadugu; Pachchur, Mallanuru Vepanapalli and ON Kothuru.
Naidu said that in the past 16 months, around 13 cases have been registered in four different police stations of Kuppam Assembly constituency in Andhra Pradesh under the Essential Commodities Act.
