Centre not providing rice for Anna Bhagya scheme, alleges CM Siddaramaiah

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday accused the Centre and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) of trying to create impediments in the implementation of the Congress guarantee of 10 kg of rice under the Anna Bhagya scheme. “If there is any delay in the rollout, the Centre will be responsible”, he said.

Speaking at a hurriedly convened press conference at the Shakti Bhavan on Race Course Road here on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah said the state government had planned to start supplying 10 kg of rice from July 1, but the Centre wrote to the FCI on Tuesday not to sell rice and wheat in the open market. “The BJP government at the Centre is indulging in politics and trying to make rice unavailable to us. We are now in talks with the Telangana and Chhattisgarh governments for supply of rice”, he said.

Ten kg of rice for BPL and Antyodaya card holders was one of the Congress promises.

“We had announced five guarantees and already implemented one of them while the dates for rollout of the others have been fixed. The state government is already providing 5 kg of rice per head to BPL and Antyodaya cardholders which we had announced we will increase to 10 kg from July. We had held discussions with the FCI and the authorities had agreed to supply 2,08,425 tons of rice every month at Rs 34 per kg along with Rs 2.60 as transportation cost and had written to us as recently as June 12. On Tuesday, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has written to the FCI to suspend open market sale of rice and wheat”, the chief minister said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reading out from the FCI letters at the press conference on Wednesday.

Siddaramaiah said the Union government is conspiring to create problems and make rice unavailable for the state. “Our government is working for the welfare of the poor, but the Centre is creating impediments though there is adequate stock of rice. The BJP government at the Centre is anti-poor. They are not giving it to us for free, we are paying them”, he said.

Further, he accused the Centre of making rice available to private players. “However much they conspire, we will make all efforts to provide 10 kg of rice. We’ll have to work out a Plan B, but we will provide what is promised. Minister K H Muniyappa will leave for Telangana on Thursday. If there is a delay, the Centre will be responsible”, the CM said.