Date:17/05/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/05/17/stories/2004051705220400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Vigilance officials seize 1,614 tonnes of FFW rice

By Our Correspondent

KAKINADA, MAY 16. In the first-ever biggest haul after the introduction of the Food for Work programme, sleuths of State Vigilance and Enforcement Department led by its Superintendent of Police, B.V. Ramanakumar, raided a godown in the new port area here on Sunday and seized 1,614 tonnes of rice meant for the Food for Work programme and stored there for shipment abroad.

The value of the seized rice was estimated at around Rs. 1.30 crores. The sleuths also intercepted six lorries near the anchorage port weighment machine area and seized 62.3 tonnes of Food for Work programme rice worth Rs. 4.96 lakhs.

Based on an anonymous letter, the sleuths, along with the officials of the Civil Supplies Department, searched the godowns, which paid dividends. "We kept a constant vigil on the godowns ever since our earlier search in January proved abortive, as adequate documentary evidence was not available. Now we have everything pucca as how the Food for Work programme rice reached the godowns from various rice mills and rice traders.

There is ample evidence to prove that the rice seized was diverted from the original programme by greedy traders,'' said Mr Ramanakumar while explaining the success of their long wait to bust the racket.

He said that complaints of Food for Work programme being misused and finding their way to other countries along with other rice exports had been pouring in since some time, but except for a small quantity of rice, they could not unearth the racket or seize the stocks. On a tip-off, they raided the godown where 13,428 tonnes of rice meant for export was stocked. On a search, they could detect with evidence a total of 1,613 tonnes of rice was for the Food for Work program and shown as purchased from various rice mills and rice traders.

Since the matter needed deep study and close scrutiny, he said no arrests have been made so far.

However, cases were booked under the Essential Commodities Act, criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of Government property.

The district supply officer, Shaik Madar Saheb, said that the rice seized was confirmed as FFW rice, as the gunny bags and the batch numbers besides the quality of rice matched the rice, which rolls out of FCI godowns.