Jana Sena Party president and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan, who has so far been focused on environmental, social, and forest-related issues, has now turned his attention to investigating major scams reported during the previous Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy regime.
On Friday, Pawan Kalyan made a surprising visit to Kakinada Port, following reports of large-scale illegal transportation of ration rice, allegedly carried out with the involvement of local politicians and port authorities.
The Deputy Chief Minister, who caught Public Distribution System (PDS) rice bags being illegally smuggled to African countries, announced his intention to request a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the rice smuggling scam.
“The issue will be discussed in the state cabinet to decide whether the investigation will be handed over to the CID or the CBI. No one, including influential individuals or organizations involved in the smuggling, will be spared,” he asserted.
Reports indicate that the ration mafia and corrupt officials attempted to obstruct Pawan Kalyan’s inspection by citing unfavorable weather conditions.
However, Pawan personally inspected a South African ship suspected of carrying smuggled rice and uncovered evidence of serious irregularities.
The investigation exposed glaring security lapses at Kakinada Port, which handles nearly 1,000 trucks daily but is guarded by only 16 personnel. Additionally, there are no adequate mechanisms to monitor and verify cargo effectively.
Pawan Kalyan accused officials of collusion with the mafia and raised concerns about the port’s vulnerability to the smuggling of not just rice but also potentially hazardous materials such as drugs and explosives.
He warned that such negligence could pose a significant threat to national security.
He stated his intention to write to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking enhanced maritime security measures and a thorough investigation into the scam.
Pawan also emphasized the need for stricter implementation of laws, pointing out that negligence in the past allowed ration rice intended for the poor to be diverted and sold abroad for substantial profits.
