Kakinada millers pleaded to the court for loading of Sela rice on a ship

18-Dec-2024 05:38 PM

The situation surrounding the loading of Sela rice on the Stella L Panama ship, bound for West Africa, has become a legal issue that is now under the scrutiny of the High Court.

Three rice millers from Kakinada have filed separate petitions, seeking the court's intervention to direct Kakinada port officials to allow the loading of their rice onto the ship.

The millers claim they are suffering significant financial losses—amounting to Rs 4.20 lakh per day—due to the delay in the loading process.

The millers argue that port officials are making arbitrary decisions, preventing the rice from being loaded despite the fact that a large volume of rice is typically exported from Kakinada port.

The Indian government has exempted the export of non-basmati white and Sela rice from certain obligations, and the shipment of such rice has been ongoing.

However, the specific reason for the refusal to grant permission for loading the rice onto the Stella L Panama ship remains unclear.

During a recent court hearing, the judge asked port officials to provide detailed information about the export licenses of the rice millers and clarify the legal grounds for stopping the loading process.

The millers have already delivered their rice to the port, and the ship is scheduled to depart for West African destinations. The next court hearing is expected to shed light on the matter and determine the outcome.