Karnataka may postpone Anna Bhagya Yojana launch as Union government denies rice supply

“I came hoping that the Union minister might ensure the supply of rice to Karnataka, but he did not respond,” Muniyappa told reporters in Delhi on Friday.

The poll promise obstruction

In the run-up to the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, the Congress made five poll promises — including the Anna Bhagya scheme.

Under this scheme, holders of Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Antyodaya cards would be provided 10 kg of rice under the public distribution system.

The Congress, after it formed government in the state, announced that it would implement the scheme on 1 July.

However, the government is likely to postpone the launch of this scheme by at least two weeks, claimed sources.

Earlier, the FCI agreed in a written letter on 12 June to supply the required 2.28 lakh metric tonnes of rice to the Karnataka government for the month of July.

On 13 June, the Union government ordered the FCI to discontinue the supply of rice and wheat under the Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) for state governments.

Subsequently, the FCI wrote a letter to the state government on 14 June that it would not be able to supply rice and wheat to Karnataka.

The unexpected developments forced the Karnataka government to approach other state governments, including Telangana, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh, to procure rice.

However, the state government has not yet finalised on the purchase of rice from other states.

Also read: Siddramaiah government in a financial soup as budget nears

The meeting

The meeting between Union minister Piyush Goyal and Karnataka minister KH Muniyappa did not yield fruitful results for the state.

After waiting for at least two days in Delhi for an appointment with Goyal, Muniyappa finally met him and held discussions for nearly half an hour over the procurement of rice from the FCI.

Muniyappa subsequently told reporters in Delhi: “The Union minister made it clear that they [the Union government] will not be able to supply rice to Karnataka. Despite having enough stock and being assured of payment for the rice as fixed by the FCI, he did not agree to provide rice to Karnataka.”

The Karnataka minister continued: “I also told him that our programme had been chalked out for the poor, but he did not agree to supply rice. The Union minister said that they needed around 300-400 lakh metric tonnes of rice for various programmes.”

Muniyappa also said: “It is clearly a politically motivated stand taken by the Union government. The Union government procures rice from states, where the production is high, and has to supply to those states that are in need. They are selling over 15 lakh metric tonnes in the open market, but not to us, despite being assured of payment for the rice.”

He added: “I came with the hope that the Union minister would respond positively to our demands, but he did not. Instead, he said that the Union government needed more rice for various programmes. I am not satisfied with the response of the Union minister.”

Stating that the state government was planning to procure from three other Central agencies, Muniyappa said: “The government has announced the launch date of the Anna Bhagya Yojana, and we are committed to implementing it at the earliest.”

He added: “We are planning to procure from the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Limited (NCCF), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED), and Kendriya Bhandar.”

He also said: “These three agencies purchase rice from private parties, and not directly from the states. They have sent rate cards to us and talks are underway with all three agencies. If they, too, refuse to sell to us, we will call for a public tender. The launch date is likely to be postponed.”

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BSY sets deadline for Congress

BJP Parliamentary Board member and former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa set a deadline for the Siddaramaiah government to implement the remaining four guarantees.

He said they should be implemented before the start of the budget session of the Karnataka Assembly, which will begin on 3 July.

He also warned of launching protests in both the Assembly and the Council, and also in front of Vidhana Soudha.

Stating that he was ready to take part in a protest outside the Vidhana Soudha, Yediyurappa told reporters in Davangere: “The Union government is already providing 5 kg of free rice to the poor. If the state government is willing to provide an additional 5 kg of rice, then they have to purchase and provide rice.”

He added: “They are making fake promises. The Congress has made five guarantees and only Shakti — free travel for women on government buses — has been implemented. The remaining four are yet to be launched.”

He continued: “If the state government fails to implement the remaining four guarantees by the start of the upcoming Assembly session, the BJP will launch a hunger protest in the Legislative Assembly and Council and also outside the Vidhana Soudha.”

Yediyurappa also said: “It is an offence to blame the Union government. We never said we would provide rice. Siddaramaiah should stop pointing at the Centre on the matter. I condemn this, and also appeal to them to implement the guarantees at the earliest.”

Shivakumar responds

Responding to this, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar told reporters in Bengaluru: “The protest is not being done either by the poor or the beneficiaries. Instead, some people who are rich have announced the agitation.”

He added: “The poor are happy that our government is helping them. Our sisters are visiting temples and going on pilgrimage tours because of the implementation of the Shakti Scheme. Even if it is late, we will implement the scheme.”

The KPCC chief continued: “They (the BJP) are saying that they would stage a protest even if the government provided a single gram less rice to the poor and beneficiaries. Yediyurappa is capable of only staging protests.”