Minister for Civil Supplies, Nadendla Manohar, on Friday alleged that Kakinada port was used to smuggle ration rice from the state. Kakinada former MLA Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar diverted the ration rice from the port, he alleged.

The Minister spoke to the media after inspecting the civil supplies godown in Kakinada on the day. He said that the YSR Congress government had left the Kakinada port for Dwarampudi to smuggle the rice. The rice which was to be given to the poor was diverted and smuggled from the Kakinada port.

The Dwarampudi family benefited from the ration rice, while thousands of poor families suffered, the minister said. The YSR Congress had encouraged the mafia in the state during the last five years, the Minister said. He said that this government would not allow any mafia, particularly the rice mafia.

The Minister said that he had inspected 251 mandal level stock points so far and found several irregularities in 180 stock points. He wondered why the irregularities in the stock points. He said that there were differences in the measurements and that had benefited the YSR Congress leaders.

The Minister said that the civil supplies department was conducting raids all over the state. The officials were instructed to check the differences and irregularities in the stock points. He also said that he would not allow the Dwarampudi family to loot the poor families.

The Minister further alleged that the previous government had borrowed Rs 33,600 crore from the civil supplies department. No support was given to the farmers with the borrowed money, he said. The government is yet to pay Rs 16,000 crore to the farmers from the purchase of paddy this year, the Minister said.

The present government would stand for the farmers, Manohar said. The government would protect the interests of the farmers. There would be no middlemen between the farmers and the government, the Minister said.