Telangana officials on Thursday stopped 12 lorries laden with paddy at the Panchalingala checkpost on NH-44.
The lorries were going from Nandyal in Kurnool district to Telangana and officials suspected that the paddy was being smuggled into the State to be sold as a locally grown variety during the State government procurement process.
The lorry drivers alleged that they were being harassed for no reason despite furnishing all the required documents. When contacted, Kurnool District Supplies Officer Mohan Babu told The Hindu that if those transporting the paddy had all the papers and had paid the GST and if the paddy was meant for business purposes, it should be allowed. In many cases, the locals there surreptitiously get paddy from A.P. for handing over the product as a locally-grown variety, he explained.
“We too stop such cross-border transport of paddy coming with proper sale papers, as it leads to the local produce getting blocked and the one imported from other places being sold,” he said.
