The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Two dal mills raided at Vinukonda

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Tuesday, Apr 22, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Two dal mills raided at Vinukonda

Staff Reporter

Special drive against hoarding

Huge stocks of red gram dal seized
Raids will continue, says Joint Collector

VINUKONDA (GUNTUR DT): A team of special party police and Civil Supplies officials from Guntur conducted surprise raids on two Dal Mills at Vinukonda on Monday and unearthed huge stocks of red gram dal, which have allegedly been stocked beyond the permissible limits.

“We have ordered the raids based on prior information. Preliminary reports from the officials point out that the owners of these two mills have been hoarding stocks to divert the stocks and create artificial scarcity in the market. We have found 500 quintals of red gram dal hoarded in excess of permissible limits in one of the mills,” Joint Collector Kantilal Dande told The Hindu on Monday.

A team of officials from the Legal and Meteorology Department and civil supplies department is checking the records and enumerating the stock position in Vijayalakshmi Traders and Lakshmi Vasavi traders when reports last came in. The raids took the mill owners and the local officials by surprise as the district officials kept the information under wraps. The raids were led by Reserve Inspector Ramana. The team found 2,500 quintals of red gram dal stocked in one of the mill.

The unearthing of huge quantities of pulses at two mills in the town pointed out to a widening nexus between the traders and the local civil supplies and revenue officials. It was an open secret that the town had been a ‘den of hoarders of essential commodities’. “We will continue raids and will exercise various legal options in addition to the provisions under Essential Commodities Act in taking stringent action against the traders violating norms,” Mr. Dande added.

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