Creating Commotion in the Sea with Boats Is Not Enough: Sharmila

YS Sharmila, the president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Party, strongly criticized the state government following recent inspections by Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan at the Kakinada Port. She alleged that a massive organized network is involved in smuggling Public Distribution System (PDS) rice to foreign countries and demanded an in-depth investigation into the matter.

Sharmila accused the government of ignoring the root causes of the issue, stating, “Creating commotion in the sea with boats is not enough; the truth must come out.” She emphasized the need for a coordinated effort to uncover the larger conspiracy behind the illegal activities, which she described as a "national-level scam."

The Congress leader claimed that Rs. 48,000 crore worth of public funds have been looted. She alleged that public representatives, corrupt officials, and millers are all complicit in the smuggling network, while oversight mechanisms have completely collapsed.

According to Sharmila, over the last three years, approximately 2 crore tons of PDS rice have been smuggled out through Andhra Pradesh’s ports. She raised several questions about how ration rice, meant for the poor, is reaching the ports. She called for clarity on whether previous governments had links with the rice mafia and whether millers and ration dealers are involved in the illegal operations.

Sharmila urged the government to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a thorough probe. “Andhra Pradesh is known as Annapoorna, a state that feeds the world. But it is shameful that our state is now being turned into a hub for rice smuggling,” she said.

Expressing concern over the plight of farmers, Sharmila stated, “While the farmers who toil to produce crops are left in tears, smugglers are making enormous profits. This is the tragic state of our region.” She called out Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan by tagging them in her social media posts, urging immediate action against the rice mafia.