Raids Expose PDS Rice, Sand Violations

HYDERABAD: Vigilance and Enforcement officials, along with mines and transport department teams, conducted raids at rice mills and on overloaded vehicles across the State, uncovering violations in diversion of PDS rice and illegal sand transportation.

Director general of vigilance and enforcement Shikha Goel said officers in Karimnagar carried out surprise checks at the defunct Laxmi Narsimha Modern Rice Mill in Chityala village, Nirmal mandal, and found PDS rice being processed illegally. Officials seized 160 quintals of rice worth ₹4.80 lakh, which was handed over to civil supplies authorities in Nirmal District for booking of cases.

In Hyderabad, vigilance officials of the City‑I Unit, along with motor vehicle inspectors, royalty inspectors from the Mines Department and commercial tax officers, conducted route checks at Gandi Maisamma near the Outer Ring Road to Balanagar crossroad stretch and surrounding areas.

“During the raids, officials found several tippers carrying sand illegally and overloaded. Eleven cases were registered under the MVI Act for overloading, and vehicles were seized along with licenses, permits and tax documents. A penalty of ₹4,37,000 was collected. Under the Mining Act, five cases were booked for violations in sand transportation, with an additional penalty of ₹63,705. The total tax levied during the route check amounted to ₹5,00,705,” Shikha Goel said.