In Talks With Neighbouring States To Purchase Rice For Anna Bhagya: K'taka Minister

Bengaluru: Minister for Food and Civil Supplies K.H. Muniyappa on Thursday stated that a team of officials concerned would be leaving for Telangana to hold talks with the officials concerned to purchase rice for the State Government’s ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme to distribute 10 kg of rice to families of Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holders.

After the cabinet meeting, Muniyappa said that efforts would be made to launch the ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme on July 1 as assured to the people of the State. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has spoken to his Telangana counterpart over purchase of rice similar talks have also been held with Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Punjab to purchase rice for the scheme.

“We have in the past purchased rice from NCCF, Marketing Federation, Consumer Federation among other agencies and also from neighbouring States,” Muniyappa said on the purchase of rice to launch the Anna Bhagya scheme. He said a suggestion has been made to the Chief Minister to initiate steps to purchase rice from neighbouring States and officials concerned are working on rice purchase for Anna Bhagya.

To a query that purchase from neighbouring States would burden the State exchequer, Muniyappa said that steps would be taken so that burden in not mounted on the State.

Muniyappa condemned the attitude of the Union Government to deny Karnataka rice through Food Corporation of India and explained that FCI had agreed to sell rice on July 12 to Karnataka and on July 13 FCI denied sale of rice.

The Minister said about 13 lakh tonnes of rice is in stock with the FCI but not given to the State and “We are not asking it for free but ready to pay the stipulated rate of Rs 34 a kg. Even then it has been denied.”

He termed the decision of the Union Government to deny rice to Karnataka “a political decision and stated that none of the Union Governments which ruled the country adopted ‘discriminatory’ attitude towards the States.