PDS rice unloaded from Stella, ship set to leave Kakinada Port

The Stella L Panama ship, which had been detained at Kakinada Port after Public Distribution System (PDS) rice was discovered onboard, is now set to leave the port after the unloading of the rice.
Official sources reported that Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan inspected Kakinada Port on November 11. During the inspection, he found 1,320 tonnes of PDS rice aboard the ship and immediately instructed officials to seize the vessel.
Following this, a large-scale operation was launched to determine how much PDS rice had been loaded onto the ship for export. After a thorough investigation, it was confirmed that 1,320 tonnes of PDS rice were on board. The Civil Supplies department took the rice to the anchorage port godown for storage. On December 17, the District Collector confirmed the presence of the 1,320 tonnes of PDS rice aboard the ship.
The Stella L Panama ship had been stranded at Kakinada Port for 48 days, as officials had not allowed it to depart due to the presence of the large quantity of PDS rice. However, it has now been announced that the ship will set sail for West Africa on January 4, 2025. The ship is transporting over 19,785 tonnes of ordinary rice to Port Banin in West Africa.
The Stella Panama is currently anchored about 9 nautical miles from Kakinada Port. Sources revealed that 28 companies had engaged the ship to transport rice to a West African nation. However, the discovery of the 1,320 tonnes of PDS rice led to the vessel’s detention at the port