CM Jagan urged to order probe into 4,000 cr rice scam

Mangalagiri: TDP MLC Mantena Satyanarayana Raju on Sunday demanded that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy should order a probe into the food grain and rice mafia if his party leaders were not involved in these illegal activities in the State.

He said that paddy was being bought at cheap rates from farmers and the same was being sold in black market under the cover of millers. Over Rs 4,000 crore rice scam had taken place under the nose of Minister Kodali Nani, who became known as 'Boothula Mantri' for his abusive language.

In a statement here, the TDP MLC deplored that the ruling YSRCP mafia had now set its sight on the rice meant for poor people after they had started looting liquor, sand and mining. They were badly exploiting the BPT farmers. They were buying poor quality rice given to ration shops and selling the same to the Civil Supplies Department.

Satyanarayana Raju said that when the rice scam became exposed in the public, the mafia gangs were bringing rice from Telangana and other States during nights to cover up their scams. As expected, Minister Kodali Nani has not been giving any response on this fraud ever since it came to surface.

The ruling party leaders were committing these rice irregularities in the name of levy through the Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs).

Raju termed it as unfortunate that Minister Kodali Nani had gone missing for the past 20 days without giving any clarifications on the rice scam.

The TDP leader demanded the Minister to explain what varieties of food grains which were procured from different places in the State.

He should clarify on this if the government really procured 40 lakh tonnes through the RBKs during this rabi season. He asked why Kodali Nani, Dwarampudi Bhaskar Reddy and Minister Sriranganatha Raju were keeping silent on this scam.

The TDP would intensify its agitation in order to expose the scams of the YSRCP agents and middlemen.