Kakinada Port, Allied Associations Write To Chandrababu Naidu Over Rice Exports

KAKINADA:  Port groups and allied associations on Saturday wrote a letter to the former chief minister and TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu asking him not to tarnish the image of the reputed Kakinada port.

In their letter to the TDP leader, the members said that exports and imports from the port were going on without any issues, irrespective of any party being power whether it was the Congress, Telugu Desam Party, or even the YSRCP.  They expressed concern over the developments taking place in the last few days especially in the media about the rice exports from the port.

Representatives of the Kokanada Chamber of Commerce, All India Rice Exporters, Barge Owners, and Lorry Owners Associations from Kakinada, East Godavari district, spoke to the media on Saturday.

They said that rice is being shipped from Kakinada port to other countries besides Africa. The rumors that all the rice going from here was grown in Andhra Pradesh, and the related articles linking it to many other issues were causing concern. They were asked to take note of the fact that 60 to 70 percent of the rice actually came here from neighboring states and was being exported from Kakinada. They appealed to him not to make the Kakinada port a center for political controversies.

The members also clarified that the activities are being carried out under the supervision of many central departments like Customs and Excise and there was no room for any sort of irregularities in the Kakinada port. Other exports like boiled rice, raw rice, broken rice as well as coal, and other millets were being exported without any hindrance from here. The port-based associations wrote separate letters to Chandrababu separately in the wake of TDP leader Pattabhi's serious allegations about exports from Kakinada.

The meeting was attended by Kokanada Chamber of Commerce President Varanasi Raghavulu (Raghu), All India Rice Exporters Association President Devi Krishna Rao, Secretary Vinod Agarwal, Vice President Chitnidi Srinivas, Treasurer K Bhaskar Reddy, Barge Owners Association President Bandhana Hari, Lorry Owners Association President NS Raju.

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