2650 Bags of PDS Rice Seized in Kadapa
Acting on a tip-off, officials raided a godown near Rafi Rice Mill and seized around 650 bags of PDS rice. A vehicle used to transport the stock was also taken into custody.
Kadapa: In a major crackdown on the diversion of Public Distribution System (PDS) rice, vigilance and enforcement officials seized 650 bags of ration rice allegedly stored illegally in Badvel town of Kadapa district.
Acting on a tip-off, officials raided a godown near Rafi Rice Mill and seized around 650 bags of PDS rice. A vehicle used to transport the stock was also taken into custody. The seized rice and the vehicle were shifted to the Badvel One Town Police Station.
Badvel urban police have registered a case and launched an investigation. Officials said the raid was carried out jointly by the vigilance and enforcement wing and the food safety department.
According to Vigilance officials, the seized stock weighed about 32,500 kg and is estimated to be worth around `7 lakh.
Preliminary investigations revealed that middlemen were allegedly procuring PDS rice from beneficiaries at `10 per kg and selling it outside the region at `20 per kg. The rice was reportedly reprocessed and polished at rice mills before being sold in neighbouring states, including Karnataka, for around `30 per kg, officials added.