Rapid Kits To Check PDS Rice Smuggling: Minister

Visakhapatnam: Civil supplies minister Nadendla Manohar announced the launch of rapid kits to check the illegal transport of PDS rice to local markets and to foreign countries. Addressing a press conference in Visakhapatnam on Monday, the minister said three checkpoints have been set up—one at Gajuwaka and two at Sheelanagar in Visakhapatnam close to the port—to check the transport of illegal PDS. He said 33 persons carrying these rapid kits will man the checkpoints round the clock.

Similar check posts have been opened near Kakinada port also. He said the purpose of these kits is to provide a quick and cost-effective method to identify the presence of fortified rice kernels in the PDS rice that was being diverted or used for unauthorised activities. He said 700 such kits having hydrogen chloride solution and potassium thiocyanate solution were distributed to officials of the civil supplies department of all the districts.

“Upon spraying of these two solutions on five grams of rice, the fortified rice kernels would turn red to dark red and black upon drying, indicating the presence of fortified rice kernels. The entire procedure takes less than five minutes,’’ the minister said. The minister said his department has launched several reforms for enforcement that no other state in the country has introduced. He said his department has seized 5.56 lakh quintals of rice worth `245 crore during the last one and a half years, while the previous government seized five lakh quintals in five years. This government has registered 230 criminal cases against the offenders, he added. He said so far 4.42 crore smart rice cards have been issued to beneficiaries in the state, and 89 per cent of them are availing the supply of rice from 29,752 PDS depots across the state.