In Telangana, PDS rice makes its way to poultries; 45 cases since poll code.

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Rice that is meant for distribution among the poor through fair price shops is being surreptitiously diverted to poultry farms, eateries and tiffin centres in the state. The foodgrain is also allegedly diverted for sale in black market in other states.Since the election model code came into force on March 16, around 45 FIRs have been registered under the Essential Commodities Act in Telangana. With officials launching a crackdown, large-scale smuggling of PDS rice has been uncovered, sources said.
PDS rice is purchased from the public at Rs 8 to Rs 10 per kg and sold to brokers working for poultry farms and tiffin centres at Rs 15 to Rs 26 per kg, a source revealed. Cases were reported mostly from Karimnagar, Medchal Malkajgiri, Rangareddy and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri districts.
Racketeers illegally transport PDS rice to godowns and sell it to poultry farms
Officials said the racketeers would purchase PDS rice from beneficiaries at a low cost and sell it at inflated prices to brokers. Later, it is illegally transported to godowns using vans and lorries without requisite permissions or bill documents and sold to poultry farms, an official said.
In one such case booked on March 22 in Kaleshwaram police station in Bhupalpally , civil supplies state task force officials in Hyderabad seized two vehicles with PDS rice.

Officials said, “Drivers of both vehicles did not stop while checking and proceeded towards Sironcha village in Maharashtra. We chased the vehicles and found them at Rajunagar in Sironcha, and seized them. The drivers of the vehicles confessed that they loaded the rice bags near Karimnagar and transported it to one Yellanki Veeran Kumar of Sironcha.”

On questioning, Veeran Kumar is believed to have told the cops that he was purchasing PDS rice from various parts of Telangana at a less price and selling it to mills in Telangana at a higher price.

“He collected the rice from Siddi Vinayaka Industries, Veerabhadra Industries, Sri Sai Srinivasa Industries, Laxmi Industries, Sri Sai Sudha Industries, Sai Lakshmi Industries, Maruthi Industries, Sri Raja Rajeshwara Industries, Sai Manikantha Industries and Raghavendra Industries in Karimnagar and Mancherial,” an official said.

Officials seized 767 quintals of PDS rice from him.

This article has been republished from The Times of India.