Pondy CM recommends CBI probe into 'rice smuggling case'

Puducherry, Dec 4 (UNI) The Puducherry administration has recommended a CBI probe into the alleged smuggling of ration rice through the Union Territory.

Talking to newspersons here today, Chief Minister N Rangasamy said he had sent a letter to Lt Governor Mukut Mithi in this regard two days ago.

He hoped taht the Lt Governor might have forwarded it to the CBI.

The Food Cell police here had detained a goods train with 40 wagons full of rice bags meant to be transported to Andhra Pradesh.

On enquiry, it was revealed that 7,000 tonnes of rice was meant for distribution in Tamil Nadu through the PDS and already the parties, involved in the racket, had smuggled rice from the Union Territory four times.

Police had already arrested four people in this regard.

There has been a demand for a CBI probe from different quarters, since it involved more than two states.

UNI