Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Feb 20: Karnataka food minister K H Muniyappa announced on FEbruary 19 that the state government will begin providing an additional 5 kg of free rice under the Anna Bhagya scheme, ensuring beneficiaries receive the full 10 kg promised under its pre-poll guarantee.
"From this month, beneficiaries will receive the full quantity of 10 kg of rice. The central government has agreed to provide the additional supply. We require 2.29 lakh metric tonnes of rice every month, amounting to an annual requirement of 27.48 lakh metric tonnes," Muniyappa stated.
With this decision, the state government will discontinue the monthly cash allowance of Rs 170 per individual for 5 kg of rice under the BPL scheme. Until November, beneficiaries were receiving a monthly allowance instead of rice. "We will continue transferring the amount through DBT until January," he added.
Addressing a press conference at Vidhana Soudha, Muniyappa stated that despite sufficient stock, the Centre had earlier refused to sell rice to Karnataka, compelling the Congress-led government to provide a cash allowance.
"However, with Union minister Pralhad Joshi now assuring the supply of rice to Karnataka, beneficiaries under the Anna Bhagya scheme will receive 10 kg of rice as promised in our manifesto, starting this month," he said.
The announcement follows Joshi's February 17 remarks, in which he claimed that the Centre had offered rice to Karnataka at Rs 22.50 per kg, which would have saved the state Rs 2,280 crore annually. However, he alleged that the state government was unwilling to accept the offer.
The Anna Bhagya scheme was first implemented in 2013.
"We have kept our word. The central government had initially fixed the price of rice at Rs 28 per kg, but it is now providing it at Rs 22.50," Muniyappa said.
Responding to reports that Karnataka residents were not receiving the full 10 kg of free rice and were struggling to get even 5 kg, Joshi claimed on Monday that the state government had rejected a Rs 10 discount from the Centre.
The Karnataka government currently buys rice at Rs 34 per kg. Joshi pointed out that despite the Centre offering it at Rs 22.50 per kg, the state has refused to procure it.
He further alleged that had the government purchased rice at this rate, it would have saved Rs 2,280 crore annually. He accused the Siddaramaiah-led government of deliberately ignoring this opportunity.