K’taka refusing Centre’s offer of Rs 22.5/kg of rice for Anna Bhagya: Joshi

Union minister for food and civil supplies Pralhad Joshi accused the Karnataka govt of refusing the Centre’s offer of rice for its Anna Bhagya scheme at Rs 22.5 per kg, which he said would save the state Rs 2,280 crore annually. He alleged that the state administration was unwilling to accept the discounted rate, purely for political reasons.

Responding to reports that below poverty line families were not receiving even 5kg of rice under the scheme — the govt had promised 10kg per head, one of its five guarantees — Joshi said Monday, “The state govt rejected a Rs 10 discount from the Centre.”

The scheme ran into rough weather right from the start with chief minister Siddaramaiah accusing the Centre of denying rice to the state. Congress even staged protests, alleging Food Corporation of India (FCI) had enough stock of rice but was unwilling to sell to the state govt although it initially agreed. Faced with supply issues, the state decided to pay beneficiaries cash at Rs 34 per kg instead of 5kg rice.

Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar recently said, “We decided to make the state hunger-free and planned to provide 10kg of rice through the Anna Bhagya scheme. The Centre is obstructing implementation of the scheme. People should teach BJP a lesson in the upcoming elections [to local bodies]. We are not asking for rice for free from the Centre. They are refusing to supply on the pretext of a changed policy.”

However, Joshi insisted that the Centre is willing to supply “as much rice as the state needs” but claimed the state govt was deliberately avoiding procurement. He criticised the state govt, saying, “The Siddaramaiah govt came to the helm on the back of its guarantees, but it has failed to fulfil them. The govt has also failed to distribute financial aid promised under schemes like Gruha Lakshmi.”

Under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, every woman head of a family is entitled to Rs 2,000 per month. Joshi accused Congress of making “unscientific policy announcements”, leading to an economic crisis. “The state treasury is empty, and people are suffering from rising prices. People will teach this govt a lesson,” he said.

This article has been republished from The Times of India.