Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], October 13 (ANI): Andhra Pradesh Minister for Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs, Nara Nadendla Manohar, announced that three internal check posts have been established in the Visakhapatnam port area to ensure continuous inspection of vehicles transporting rice.

Addressing media representatives at the local Circuit House on Monday morning, the Minister stated that the three check posts have been established at Gajuwaka Gateway CFS, Sravan CFS at Sheela Nagar, and BPL Integral CFS at Pedagantyada, and are now operational. These check posts function 24 hours a day in three shifts, staffed by 33 personnel, he added, according to an official release.

The Minister stated that several reforms have been introduced in the Civil Supplies Department over the past year. The government is supplying high-quality fortified rice to the public through the department and has implemented strong measures to prevent diversion of government-supplied rice.

To identify PDS rice, 700 mobile rapid kits have been deployed. These kits contain potassium thiocyanate and hydrochloric acid solutions. When these chemicals are applied to fortified rice supplied by the government, the grains turn red, whereas rice sold in open markets shows no colour change.

Previously, it took a long time to confirm illegal rice samples through laboratory testing, making legal prosecution difficult. Now, with these rapid kits, enforcement teams can instantly verify and seize shipments of illegal rice.

Minister Manohar emphasised that there would be zero tolerance for irregularities and that strict legal action would be taken against anyone involved in illegal rice transportation. He added that Andhra Pradesh is pioneering revolutionary reforms in the Civil Supplies sector, not seen anywhere else in the country.

Referring to previous incidents at the Kakinada Port, the Minister mentioned that legal actions had been taken, and vehicles had been seized in cases of illegal transportation. The same model of internal check posts, successfully implemented at Kakinada, is now being applied in Visakhapatnam to prevent diversion of PDS rice from ports.

He further informed that 4.42 crore citizens in the state have been issued QR-code Smart Rice Cards, and approximately 89% of beneficiaries are now availing themselves of rice through these cards. Consumers with grievances related to rice distribution can lodge complaints via the toll-free number 1967.

Rice under the Public Distribution System (PDS) can be collected from any of the 29,752 fair price shops across the state, he said.

While the previous government seized 5.35 lakh quintals of rice in five years, the current government, within the last 14 months, has seized 5.65 lakh quintals worth Rs 245 crores. So far, 230 criminal cases have been registered and are under trial in various courts.

The Minister also noted that enforcement teams had conducted inspections at container ports in Visakhapatnam to prevent illegal transportation of rice, while assuring that legitimate traders would not face unnecessary obstacles. 'We will implement enforcement rigorously and act strictly against violations,' he asserted.

Saurabh Gaur, Commissioner of Civil Supplies, demonstrated to media representatives how the rapid kits can detect PDS fortified rice. He explained that fortified rice is produced by mixing 1 kg of multivitamins and iron-enriched rice with 100 kg of regular rice.

He clarified that there is a misconception among the public that fortified rice is 'plastic rice.' In reality, it is made by grinding rice and blending it with a multivitamin mix, making it more nutritious than ordinary rice, he said.

Civil Supplies Corporation MD Manjeer Zilani, Joint Collector Mayur Ashok, Civil Supplies Corporation DM Srilatha, and District Civil Supplies Officer Bhaskar Rao participated in the meeting. (ANI)