Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Jul 25: In consonance with the tough posture owned by the state government against the hoarders of food grains, treating hoarding activity as a contributor to the alarming rise in the prices of rice of late, the officials of the food and civil supplies department raided Vinayaka Rice Industries located at Halekote near here and found excessive holding of paddy and rice, worth about six crore rupees. This is over and above the permissible holding the rice mills can have, it is learnt.

The officials found that the mill was holding 1,400 quintals of rice and 64,000 quintals of paddy in excess of the limit permitted to them. They have confiscated this stock and referred the case to the court of the district deputy commissioner.

As per the state government's orders, rice mills are permitted to hold a maximum stock of 1,500 quintals of rice and 3,000 quintals of paddy. The raid was led by food and civil supplies department district deputy director Ratnakar Naik, food shirastedar Purandar Hegde, food inspector Prakash and district manager Jinnappa Gowda.

The mill however, argued that there is no legal limit upto which a rice mill can hold stock of paddy. Hence, it says the stock of paddy it holds is not illegal.