Karnataka Congress assures 10 kg rice to each family member of BPL card holders

BENGALURU: If voted to power in the State in the ensuing Assembly elections, Congress party assured 10 kgs of rice to every member of a Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holders families and the distribution of rice to BPL every member of BPL card holders is to make the State 'hunger free.'

This was announced by the president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) D.K. Shivakumar who held a joint press conference with former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru on Friday.

Shivakumar said the party has assured the people of the State that free power of about 200 units under ‘Griha Jyothi’ scheme would be supplied free of cost and with this, a family would be able to save about Rs 1,500 a month. The party’s another assurance, he said, was Rs 2,000 financial assistance under ‘Griha Lakshmi’ scheme to a female head of a family after coming to power.

“We gave 7 kgs of rice to BPL card holders under ‘Anna Bhagya’ and Bharatiya Janata Party has brought it down to 5 kgs,” he pointed out and stated that “If rice was not distributed among the people, then, families would have been in deep trouble during the lockdown imposed owing to Covid-19 pandemic.”

Recalling he said, during the party's recent 'Prajadwani Yatra', Shivakumar said "People told us they would have died by hunger during Covid times and free distribution of rice came to their rescue during the crisis."

Shivakumar said all leaders of the party discussed and arrived at a decision to strengthen ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme and made the decision public which is the third assurance given to voters by the Congress party if voted to power.

“We will deliver to the people of the State what the BJP government could not make it happen,” he exuded confidence.