From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jun 28: With Narendra Modi’s BJP regime at the Centre trying to scuttle the Congress party’s Anna Bhagya scheme by directing Food Corporation of India (FCI) under its control to back out from its promise to supply the rice, the Siddaramaiah-led State government has decided to directly transfer cash into the bank accounts of the card holders for the 5 kgs the government is unable to procure.
Speaking to media persons after the cabinet meeting in Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday, the chief minister said the Congress party had promised 10 kg rice per person per month under the Anna Bhagya Guarantee to all BPL and Anthyodaya card holders.
"Our party had given 5 guarantees to the people and soon after forming the government, we had decided to implement Anna Bhagya guarantee from July 1. The government had written and spoken to FCI officials and they had agreed to give the rice under Open Sale Scheme but on the very next day, FCI had backed out saying the Open Sale Scheme has been cancelled at the behest of the Centre,’’ he said.
The chief minister explained that the government had tried its best to procure the rice from neighbouring states as Karnataka requires 2.29 lakh tonnes, which no state is able to supply.
Pointing out that he had personally met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to prevail upon FCI to sell rice to Karnataka and he agreed to speak to Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. Karnataka’s Food Minister K H Muniyappa has personally met and requested Centre. But the Centre has been uncooperative and playing dirty politics as part of the BJP’s anti-poor policies.
The State government had even requested Central agencies like NAFED, NCCF and Kendriya Bhandar. They have said that they are inviting public tenders and their rates are beyond the rates prescribed by FCI, he said.
Siddaramaiah said the Congress government is committed to implement all the 5 guarantees and there is no going back on its promises. As the government had decided to launch Anna Bhagya scheme from July 1 and the government is unable to secure the necessary rice beyond the 5 kg rice being provided by the Centre to all BPL and Antyodaya card holders, the cabinet has decided to transfer Rs 170 each per person per month at Rs 34 for the 5 kgs into the bank accounts of beneficiaries under DBT.
"As soon as the government is able to procure the necessary rice, the cash component will be discontinued and 10 kg of rice per person will be distributed. Ours is a government that keeps its promises,’’ he declared.
The State BJP leaders, who are crying hoarse demanding implementation of Anna Bhagya scheme from July 1, should have prevailed upon the Modi government to sell the rice to Karnataka if they are really concerned about the poor, he said.
The chief minister said the BJP leaders had challenged the government to give cash if the government is unable to give the promised 10 kg rice. "We have taken up their challenge and have decided to transfer cash for the 5 kgs at Rs 34 per kg and will transfer Rs 170 into the bank accounts,’’ he said.
Rs 170 is enough to buy 2.5 kg rice, says Bommai
Meanwhile, former BJP chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said the Rs 170 DBT transfer instead of 5 kgs under Anna Bhagya was ‘’too little and sufficient to buy just 2.5 kg of rice.’’
The Congress government goes on changing the terms and coming out with conditions. The government has broken the promises to the people, he said.
Bommai said the Siddaramaiah government has put conditions on Gruhajyoti for 200 units of free power supply to all domestic consumers. The government is not keeping its promises, Bommai said.