Special focus paid on ration mafia: Minister Nadendla Manohar

Visakhapatnam: Coordinating with concerned department officials, Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar underlines the need to intensify vigilance over the Public Distribution System (PDS), ensuring its transparency.

After discussing with district officials belonging to North Andhra in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, the minister informed that a committee will be formed involving various wings, including police, revenue, civil supplies, legal metrology, vigilance and enforcement to address the misuse of rice distribution and place a check on ration mafia.

Soon after the NDA government came to power, Nadendla Manohar said that special focus was paid on preventing the ration mafia. “So far, the new government registered 1,066 cases for violating the norms and took 729 persons into custody. Apart from seizing 102 vehicles, 62,000 metric tonnes of rice were also seized and the market value of the seized rice would be approximately Rs 240 crore,” the minister explained.

Identifying the magnitude of rice mafia present, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu sought for a CB-CID inquiry. Both Chief Minister as well as Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan are working in a committed manner to put an end to the ration mafia, the Civil Supplies Minister informed.

Briefing details of the Deputy Chief Minister’s recent visit to Kakinada port along with him, Nadendla Manohar criticised that the previous government had converted Kakinada port into a smuggling den. For the past three years, 1.31 lakh metric tonnes of rice from Kakinada port were exported overseas. It is unfortunate that the PDS which is meant to reach the poor was deviated to deceive the eligible beneficiaries during the YSRCP’s rule,” the Civil Supplies Minister expressed worry.

During the kharif season, the coalition government procured 10.59 lakh metric tonnes of grains. Also, within 48 hours of procurement, the minister added, farmers were paid Rs 2,331 crore for the grains as of now.