Daijiworld Media Network - Gadag
Gadag, July 19: Rice meant for poor families under the Karnataka government's flagship Anna Bhagya welfare scheme is allegedly being diverted by an organised black-market syndicate and smuggled abroad through Maharashtra, with investigations pointing to an extensive network operating across state borders.
The probe has revealed that the rice, distributed free of cost to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in Karnataka, is allegedly polished before being exported to countries including Dubai and Singapore.
The racket came to light after police intercepted a suspicious lorry on the outskirts of Gadag city and seized around 32 tonnes of Anna Bhagya rice. During questioning, the lorry driver reportedly told investigators that the consignment was being transported to Maharashtra, from where it was to be shipped overseas.
Investigators also uncovered another disturbing aspect of the operation. Police said the documents used for transporting the rice had been forged, with fake seals of the Haveri Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) allegedly used to prepare the transport records.
The allegations are not new. Farmers in Koppal district had earlier claimed that Anna Bhagya rice was being smuggled to Dubai and Singapore.
In September last year, officials in Yadgir seized Anna Bhagya rice bags worth Rs 1.17 crore. Investigations at the time revealed that the stock had allegedly been readied for export to foreign countries.
Despite Gadag police maintaining constant surveillance over the network for the past several years and seizing tonnes of illegally transported rice on multiple occasions, the smuggling operations have continued unabated.
Investigators suspect that an organised syndicate involving agents from several districts of Karnataka and Maharashtra is orchestrating the illegal trade.
According to farmers in Gadag district, black-market operators from Gadag, Hubballi and Koppal have established links with wholesale traders in Maharashtra. They alleged that Maharashtra-based agents specifically seek polished rice. Consequently, Anna Bhagya rice is first transported to rice mills in Gangavathi and nearby areas, where it is polished before being moved to Maharashtra and subsequently exported to foreign destinations.
A Food and Civil Supplies Department official said several cases involving the illegal transportation of Anna Bhagya rice to Maharashtra had already been detected and consignments seized. However, officials admitted that far stricter enforcement measures would be required to completely dismantle the organised smuggling network.