In just over a month since the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government came to power in Karnataka, a row over “denial” of rice by the Centre for Anna Bhagya, one of the State government’s flagship programmes to be launched on July 1, has kept the political pot boiling.
The Centre’s flip-flop over the supply of more rice to the State has not only led to a slugfest between the Congress and BJP, but has likely derailed the launch. Besides, the cost of implementation, estimated to be around ₹10,000 crore, is likely to go up.
Karnataka is now looking at other sources to procure 2.29 lakh metric tonnes of rice per month. This is the amount it requires to provide five kg of free rice per person to over 4.42 crore intended beneficiaries or 1.19 crore households, who are BPL (below poverty line) and Antyodaya card-holders in the State. The five kg of rice under Anna Bhagya is over and above the five kg that is given by the Centre under the National Food Security Act to the poorest of the poor.
