Cooperate in curbing illegal rice exports from Andhra Pradesh ports, Chief Commissioner of Customs urges stakeholders

The Chief Commissioner of Customs and Central Tax, Visakhapatnam Zone, Sanjay Rathi, has called upon all stakeholders, involved in the export of rice, to cooperate in checking the menace of illegal exports. The Customs Department was bound to work in total cooperation with the State government in checking illegal exports.

He held a meeting with all the stakeholders of various ports in Andhra Pradesh, at the Visakhapatnam Custom House, here, on Friday.

Referring to the recent incident of the alleged export of PDS rice from Kakinada Port, he said that such exports, in addition to being illegal, are a big blow to the underprivileged sections for whom the rice was meant. The Commissioner of Customs (Preventive), Vijayawada, had convened a meeting at Kakinada with all the stakeholders and discussed ways to curb the menace.

However, since rice is exported from various ports of Andhra Pradesh, this meeting with all stakeholders of various ports in the State was organised. Representatives of Rice Exporters Association, Rice Millers Associations, Cocanada Chamber of Commerce, Customs Brokers Association, officers from Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram as well as Kakinada Anchorage Port, Stevedores Association, representatives from major CFS and Logistics companies and officers of the Civil Supplies Department, Visakhapatnam, attended, according to a statement issued by M. Sreekanth, Additional Commissioner, Visakhapatnam Zone.

Principal Commissioner N. Sridhar of Visakhapatnam Custom House, explained the procedures and provisions with respect to export of rice and said that the department would take all measures to curb illegal export of PDS rice. He also said that due diligence was being done in the processing of documents relating to rice exports.