The district administration has initiated process to attach the thousands of quintal of rice caught on Tuesday night in the railway container siding located at Kampa. The rice was scheduled to be exported to foreign country despite State Government’s ban on export of rice from Chhattisgarh.
Confirming the attachment process being on, collector Siddharth Komal Singh Pardeshi said the rice was scheduled for export clandestinely and therefore district administration and railway officials are in the process to attach the rice. Meanwhile, the action of the district administration has created panic in Rice lobby as they are now trying to stall the process of attachment. Notably, three truck rice from Vinayak Rice Mill of Basna and two truck rice from Ma Chandi Rice Mill of Kurud had reached Kampa located SGT Dharamkanta when the district administration officials got the information and rushed to the site. Together with railway officials, the district officials started investigation. According to district food officer Dayamani Minj the rice belonged to the millers which was scheduled for export despite the ban imposed by State Government.
Meanwhile, after the commencement of attachment process, the millers have filed application with the director of the food department and his decision will set the further course of action in the case. Talking to media men collector ‘Pardeshi’ informed that after receiving the news of five truck load of rice heading for railway container siding, district officials along with Railway DRM P S Mishra reached railways’ godown where they detected the rice, which was scheduled for export, and started working on seizure procedures. He expressed firmness over attachment of the rice which was being exported despite Government ban.
On the same time, Railway DRM P S Mishra said that a letter of the State Government regarding ban on rice export has been received but in the letter from which date the ban would come in to force is not mentioned. He has held talk with the district collector in this regard and assured that the railways would ensure adherence to the State Government decision. Meanwhile, president of Rice Millers’ Association Yogesh Agrawal said that ban order on the export of rice was released only on Tuesday and by that time rice loaded trucks had left the mill but the State Government officials started action without giving any time. To stop the attachment of the rice he would talk with the officials concerned, he added.