Narsapuram MP K. Raghu Ramakrishna Raju has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to instruct the officials concerned to identify the exact requirement of rice exports from Andhra Pradesh in order to curb irregularities.
ADVERTISEMENT
In his letter, Mr. Raju alleged that the State government had recently proposed to pay ₹12 per kg to those beneficiaries of the Public Distribution System (PDS) opting for cash payment in lieu of rice, which worked out to ₹300 for a 25-kg quota per family.
The amount was 40% of the procurement cost as the Central government was incurring an expenditure of ₹30 per kg towards the rice supplied to the State governments at a subsidised price under the Food Security Act, 2013, Mr. Raju explained.
A pilot project of the above scheme was planned to be launched in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts on April 18, and the government thought of rolling it out across the State subsequently.
Mr. Raju said it was evident that huge volumes of the buyback grains were being exported through the anchorage port in Kakinada by the political bigwigs at prices lower than the prevailing market value of the same quality grains. “Such scams need to be nipped in the bud,” Mr. Raju said, appealing for necessary action, lest the purpose of the PDS should be defeated.