Bangalore: Siddu to serve 'Anna Bhagya' to BPL families at Re 1 per kg
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Jul 9: In less than two months since assuming power, the Siddaramamaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka is all set to launch its most ambitious ''Anna Bhagya" scheme for supplying 30 kg of rice at Rupee 1 per kg to all below poverty line (BPL) families in the State from Wednesday.
The launch of the Anna Bhagya scheme marks the implementation of the key electoral promise made by the Congress party in the run-up to the May assembly elections.
The scheme will be formally launched in the State by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the Freedom Park in the City on Wednesday at 11 am.
Karnataka’s Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and other Cabinet Ministers would be participating in the launch function at the Freedom Park in the presence of MLAs and other leaders.
The scheme would be simultaneously unveiled in all other districts throughout the State.
The State Government had originally planned to implement the scheme from June 1 but postponed it as it could not tie-up on the supply side.
98.35 Lakh Beneficiaries
A total of 98.35 lakh Antyodaya Anna Yojana and BPL cardholders will be eligible to receive subsidised rice through a network of 20,450 public distribution system (PDS) shops across the State.
The State has distributed 1.33 crore ration cards, including above poverty line (APL) families.
Karnataka will require 2,78,424 tonnes of rice per month for meeting the needs of the Anna Bhagya scheme, which is considered a game-changer as far as the ruling Congress party is concerned ahead of the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.
The Congress-led UPA regime is also implementing its most ambitious Food Security Bill, which is expected to considerably reduce the financial burden on the State.
While single-member family is eligible for 10 kg rice, a two member family will get 20 kg and a family of three and more members is entitled for 30 kg rice per month.
Till now, each BPL family was eligible to get a maximum 20 kg of rice a month.
Rs 4,300 Cr Financial Burden
The State would get 1.78 lakh tonnes of rice from the Centre every month and it required an additional 1,07,000 tonnes to implement the initiative
The total financial burden on the State exchequer would be Rs 4,200 to Rs 4,300 crore in 2013-14 by way of subsidy, Dinish Gundu Rao said.
The Government has decided to meet the additional requirement from Chhattisgarh, which has a “bumper stock."
Rice from Chhattisgarh would cost Rs 26 to Rs 27 per kg, including transportation.
In addition, the department has issued a notification facilitating buying from National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX), an online multi-commodity exchange.
Rao hoped that the ordinance on food security programme issued by the Centre would benefit the state’s rice initiative considerably as more people could be included in it with additional subsidy.
Vigilance Panels to be Strengthened
The minister said the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department will strengthen vigilance committees from the ration-shop level to the State level to check diversion food items and bogus ration cards.
Support of active NGOs would be sought and committees would be made workable at all levels to prevent misuse of subsidised rations, Rao said.
Currently, shop owners themselves were members of the vigilance committees.
However, he made it clear that there was no plan to hold “Akki Santhe" (rice fair) and termed it as “illegal."