Date:08/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/08/stories/2007110852220300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Rice exporters await State government’s nod

Correspondent

Deepavali, Assembly session delay things

State certification must for shipment
Present state of affairs worries exporters

Kakinada: Now all the rice exporters are anxiously awaiting the clearance from the State government for their rice stocks ready for exports in various godowns.

The Central government on its part has relaxed the restrictions on non-Basmati rice exports at the instance of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, but imposed the condition that the stocks should be certified by the State government to the effect that they are in the godowns in Kakinada city. The customs authorities have conveyed the instructions received by them from the Director General, foreign trade, to the district administration for issuing the necessary certificates to rice exporters for the rice stocks brought to the godowns in Kakinada city. Joint Collector G.S.R.K.R. Vijay Kumar, being the Collector, civil supplies, has sought the clarification on Kakinada city limits and also the clearance from the Civil Supplies commissioner.

‘No instructions yet’

Mr. Vijayakumar told The Hindu on Wednesday that they were yet to receive instructions from the Commissioner. However, it is reliably learnt that the orders from the Commissioner is expected only next Monday as the officers and Ministers are busy with Assembly session and the next three days are holidays on account of Diwali.

The rice exporters are unhappy with the present state of affairs as all their efforts to expedite rice shipments provide futile owing to some hitch or the other. “We are ready to furnish the required information to the State government for early certification. But things are not moving as fast as we desired. The Diwali holidays came as a stumbling block for loading of rice, even presuming that State government acts positively now, lamented Vinod Agarwal, president, South India Rice Exporters’ Association.

He said that shipments were being delayed from time to time owing to different reasons, much to the distress of rice exporters. Meanwhile, another rice exporter has expressed his unhappiness over the unhelpful stance of the Customs authorities on allowing loading of 5000 tonnes of rice on the ship M V Vinashan Star that has been waiting at the anchorage since October 15 despite a clear-cut direction from the High Court.

The exporters wonder as to why the Customs authorities are objecting to the loading, despite clear direction of the court and also the latest notification of DGFT.