Karnataka’s Anna Bhagya Scheme: Punjab ‘Rice’ to the Occasion As Telangana, AP Say No to Cong

In relief for the newly formed Karnataka government, the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government has offered to provide the rice required for implementation of the Congress’s second guarantee in the state — the Anna Bhagya scheme. The scheme aims to provide 10 kg of food grains per person per month to all below poverty line (BPL) families in Karnataka.

A letter from Prithvi Reddy, Karnataka State Convenor of AAP, stated that he had discussed Karnataka’s requirements with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, who has reacted positively and agreed in-principle to supply the required rice to cover the shortage.

The Congress government in Karnataka plans to enforce the scheme from July 1, but has faced several obstacles, including shortage of food grains within the state.

‘DESPITE POLITICS & ROADBLOCKS…’

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched a fresh attack on the central government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing them of attempting to sabotage the scheme and playing politics with food grains intended for the poor and needy. “We are honestly trying to implement the Anna Bhagya Scheme by July 1 despite the politics and roadblocks,” said the CM.

Despite reaching out to other states for assistance, sources reveal the government has only managed to secure a supply of 1.5 lakh metric tonnes of rice, falling short of the monthly requirement of 2.28 lakh metric tonnes.

Neighbouring states such as Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have also communicated that they have limited rice stock.

Chhattisgarh, another Congress-ruled state, has 1.5 lakh tonnes of rice, which would only cover one month of the Anna Bhagya scheme in Karnataka.

Siddaramaiah said, “We are taking quotations from the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Limited (NCCF) and Kendriya Bhandar to see how much they can provide.”

‘CENTRE HALTED SALE OF WHEAT, RICE FROM FCI’

Karnataka faced another setback when the Union government halted the sale of wheat and rice from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to state governments. The Union Food Ministry stated that this decision was made to control inflationary trends and maintain adequate stock levels in the Central pool.

Siddaramaiah expressed his frustration, highlighting that the FCI initially agreed to provide rice, but later denied the supply. “The FCI on June 7 said they will provide rice. Five days later, on June 12, they agreed to provide seven lakh tonnes of rice. I made a call to the deputy general manager of FCI and he agreed. But on June 14, we got a letter denying the supply. Isn’t this pure politics and being insensitive to people,” asked Siddaramaiah.

PROTESTS ON TUESDAY

Irked with the Union government’s decision to stop the FCI from selling food grains to states, the Karnataka Congress will launch a protest led by Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar in Bengaluru on June 20 (Tuesday). The local leadership will also hold protests in district headquarters across Karnataka.

So who will Karnataka turn to for the food grain scheme for BPL families in Karnataka?

KH Muniyappa, state food and civil supplies minister, said a decision is yet to be taken.

“We are looking at all permutations and combinations and are also hopeful of finding a favourable solution. We have made a promise that we intend to keep,” he said, hinting that along with rice, the state may provide other grains to compensate, until the shortage issue is resolved.​