Customs dept to help govt in preventing diversion of PDS rice

Vijayawada: Sadhu Narasimha Reddy, Commissioner of Customs, Customs Commissionerate (Preventive), Vijayawada said on Tuesday that the customs department has no role in verification of the origin/source of procurement of the rice meant for export.

He said the role of customs department begins after the rice enters the customs notified area within the Anchorage Port (JJ Ghatty). Sadhu Narasimha Reddy made this statement at a meeting convened by the Customs with the rice exporters, and other stakeholders in Kakinada.

The customs department has given clarification of its role in the Kakinada port.

He stated that the exporters obtain NOC from AP State civil supplies personnel and the SPF personnel shall allow vehicles (rice loaded lorries) into the port premises on producing NOC issued by the Civil supplies department at the check-post. The Commissioner directed the staff to support the efforts of the Civil Supplies department and also informed that the role of customs officials is limited to verify whether the rice brought for export is as per the description declared in the shipping bill, invoice, packing list and contract copy subsequent to which permission is granted for loading rice into the barges for further loading into the export vessels.

Narasimha Reddy said the Customs department is duty bound to extend its unconditional and complete support to the State government in curbing any menace including diversion of PDS goods. He informed that the Chief Commissioner of Customs & Central Tax, Visakhapatnam Zone will soon be holding a meeting at Visakhapatnam with the stakeholders of all the Customs formations across Andhra Pradesh and the date of the meeting will be communicated shortly.

G Ramakrishna Raju Yadav, Additional Commissioner of Customs, Custom House, Kakinada, Assistant commissioners, Kakinada N Ravi Kumar, GSR Naidu, B Mahesh Babu, Captain Dharma Sastha, port officer and others attended the meeting.

Representatives from Kakinada Chamber of Commerce, The Rice Exporters Association, Kakinada District Rice Millers Association, Members of Steamer Agents Association, Custom House Agents Association & Stevedores Association and staff of custom house and Customs Preventive Division, Kakinada participated in the meeting.

It may be noted that Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan during his recent visit to Kakinada port expressed ire on the Kakinada Port officials for the lapses on export of PDS rice from Kakinada seashore. He questioned on the security breaches at the Kakinada port and raised concern on the safety of the country.