India has not decided to ban export of rice or river sand to Maldives: Indian High Commission

The High Commission of India in the Maldives has said that India has not decided to ban export of rice or river sand to the Maldives.

A press note issued by the Indian High Commission today states that the report carried by a local newspaper on 29 January entitled “India to stop export of sand, rice to Maldives” was grossly unsubstantiated and did not provide any credible source of its information.

“As far as the High Commission is aware, the Government of India has taken no such decision to ban export of rice or river sand to Maldives. On river sand, though there is a local court injunction for export from Tuticorin, the importers are free to source it from any other region/state in India,” says the press note.

The High Commission said that such reports have the potential to create negative public sentiment, and urged local media to exercise an enhanced sense of responsibility and restraint while publishing reports on bilateral issues.

Environment authorities in India are quite opposed to the export of river sand from the country. Some items that are not exported by India under normal circumstances are made available for purchase by the Maldives under certain historical agreements between the governments of the two countries.