PDS rice row ( Andhra Pradesh): Customs to cooperate with state

Expressing concern over the recent incident of diversion of rice meant for public distribution system (PDS), chief commissioner of customs in Visakhapatnam, Sanjay Rathi, on Friday held a stakeholders meeting and stated that their department would work in total cooperation with state govt in its efforts to stop illegal exports in future.The chief commissioner emphasised that all the stakeholders should put in additional efforts to stamp out the menace of such illegal exports and extend their cooperation to the state agencies in this regard.

He said the alleged PDS rice diversion is illegal and the diversion was a blow to the underprivileged section for whom the rice was meant. He added that in order to curb the menace, the commissioner of customs (preventive), Vijayawada, convened a meeting at Kakinada on Dec 4 with all the stakeholders and discussed ways and means to curb the menace.

Rathi said in the Visakhapatnam zone, he had convened a meeting of all the stakeholders of various ports in Andhra Pradesh on Friday. The meeting was attended by Rice Exporters Association, Rice Millers Associations, Cocanada Chamber of Commerce, Customs Brokers Association, officers from Visakhapatnam, among others.

This article has been republished from The Times of India.