Karnataka govt to give money instead of 5 kg additional rice to BPL families due to non-availability of grains

Bengaluru: As the Karnataka government is facing difficulty in procuring large quantities of rice required to fulfil its poll guarantee, it has decided to pay beneficiaries cash at the rate of Rs 34 per kilo, for the additional 5kg of the foodgrain promised under the 'Anna Bhagya' scheme.

The Congress, in its election manifesto, had promised to give an additional five kg rice a month along with five kg given by the Centre for free.

The state government said the disbursement of money will start from July 1.

“The FCI (Food Corporation of India) has a standard rate of Rs 34 per kg rice. We tried to get rice but no institution came forward to supply us the required amount of rice (to give additionally),” Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa briefed reporters here after a Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday.

He said, “Since the date for launching Anna Bhagya has arrived (July 1) and we had given word, today in the cabinet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and other ministers arrived at a decision that till the time the rice is supplied, we will give money at the rate of Rs 34 per kg, which is the FCI rate, to the (BPL) ration card holders.”

If there is one person in one card then the person will get Rs 170 a month against five kg additional rice under the Anna Bhagya scheme, the Minister explained.

Two persons in the ration card will be entitled for Rs 340 and if there are five members then they would get Rs 850 a month, he added.

Muniyappa said the government has made arrangements to directly deposit the amount into the beneficiaries’ accounts.

“This will come into effect from July 1 itself. This is one of the important guarantees promised by our party. We had taken this decision in the first cabinet meeting after coming to power,” the Minister noted.