The district administration’s drive to prevent diversion of rice meant for public distribution system (PDS) scheme, to the open market appears to be paying off with the seizure of 2,418 quintals of rice across the district in the past six months.
Some areas of the district, particularly those situated close to the inter-district and inter-State borders, earned notoriety for diversion, illegal hoarding and smuggling of rice earmarked for ‘below poverty line’ families under the PDS in the past.
The Vigilance Department sleuths earlier foiled attempts by some organised gangs to illegal transport rice to an adjoining State and smuggle the illegal consignment to some neighbouring countries through a port city. The stepped-up vigil and enforcement efforts in the recent past have resulted in seizure of substantial quantity of PDS rice in various mandals in Khammam division and elsewhere in the district.
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Acting on a tip off, the sleuths of the Civil Supplies Department seized 44 bags containing 22 quintals of PDS rice while being illegally transported in a vehicle at Komatla Gudem village in Chintakani mandal two days ago, sources said. A case was registered under Section 6 (a) of Essential Commodities Act against those apprehended while transporting the PDS rice in a Tata Ace at Komatla Gudem on Saturday night, said K Srinivas Rao, Tehsildar, Chintakani.
A house-to-house survey is being conducted in the village as part of the ongoing probe into the case to ascertain the facts, he told The Hindu , when contacted.