Andhra Pradesh - Ongole   

Rice stocks left unclaimed

Special Correspondent

Civil supplies officials seize records from two mills Officials feel that millers might be diverting rice meant for public distribution system or Food-for-Work programme

ONGOLE: The broker, who had loaded 2,500 tons of rice in 40 rakes for transport from Chirala to Thimapur in North East, made himself scarce on Thursday and none of the rice millers turned up to claim the huge stocks.

Meanwhile, Civil supplies officials seized records from two rice mills in Prakasam district. They are opening the rakes with gas cutters to collect more samples.

District Collector B. Udaya Lakshmi told The Hindu here that the broker told officials on Wednesday that he had procured the rice from four mills in Prakasam district, 16 mills in Guntur district and two mills in Nellore district.

But he was not available to officials on Thursday for further questioning.

Samples

Mrs. Udaya Lakshmi said that they had sent 36 samples to Bapatla and five samples to FCI, Guntur.

Record verification

While the FCI reported that it was A grade rice, the Bapatla laboratory said that the samples were rotten and felt that they should be sent to laboratory at Hyderabad for further tests.

Meanwhile, the officials wanted the railways to detain the train at Chirala itself until they ascertain whether it was clandestine trade or not.

The Civil Supplies officials in the three districts are verifying the records of concerned rice mills to know the quantity of paddy purchased, quantity of rice obtained, levy given and free rice available for sale in open market.

But they found to their chagrin that none of the rice millers turned up to claim the stock giving room for suspicion that it was clandestine trade.

Officials feel that the millers might be diverting rice meant for public distribution system or released for Food-for-Work programme.

They hope to get a breakthrough in the next couple of days after verifying records.

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Rice stocks left unclaimed

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