Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said after cabinet meet Wednesday that Anna Bhagya beneficiaries will get cash until government is able to secure stable supply of rice for the scheme.
Anna Bhagya scheme is one of the five major election promises made by the Congress in Karnataka. As part of this scheme, the beneficiaries will be given free of charge five kg of rice per month. However, the rice required for the implementation of this scheme is not available in Karnataka. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s government also tried to buy from other states. Even so, it could not collect the required rice. With that, CM Siddaramaiah announced that the beneficiaries will not be given rice, instead they will be given money.
Per Kg Rs 34 per five kg per beneficiary Rs 170 per month, he said. It was explained that for the time being it will be given in cash form and then once the required amount of rice is available for the implementation of this scheme, they will start giving rice again. BJP in Karnataka is criticizing this. The Congress government is alleging that the Center has cheated them in the matter of rice procurement and is preventing them from sending the rice from FCI to the state.