Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused the BJP-led administration in the national capital of being ‘anti-Kannadiga’ and ‘anti-poor,’ and said that the government is preventing the Food Corporation of India (FCI) from selling rice to the state in order to implement its ‘Anna Bhagya’ project. In reaction, the opposition BJP referred to it as a ‘drama.’
Every member of a household below the poverty line and bearer of an Antyodaya card is eligible to receive 10 kg of food grains for free as part of the ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme beginning on July 1. One of the five pledges made by Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar prior to the Karnataka Assembly election is this programme. Members of BPL households are already receiving five kilogrammes of rice. The new government is currently adding another five kilogrammes to it.
The CM added that his administration was making every attempt to obtain rice from other producers and sources in order to fulfil its commitment to deliver it on time to those in need. The CM has been retaliated against by the opposition BJP, who charges him of creating ‘drama’ by criticising the federal government.
‘The Centre has taken a political decision after agreeing to provide us with rice. Based on their Food Corporation of India (FCI) agreeing to provide rice, we had promised to provide rice to the poor from July 1. We cannot get that much rice in Karnataka…now after agreeing to provide rice they are now saying they can’t at the behest of the Centre,’ Siddaramaiah said as quoted by news agency PTI.
Speaking at a news conference, he claimed that the Centre had made the political choice not to supply grains to the Karnataka government because they feared the Congress party would gain favour by putting the programme that would help the poor into action.
‘The Centre is trying to scuttle the scheme that would have provided another 5 kg of free rice for the poor. The Centre is trying to do politics on this issue. FCI officials had said that they have seven lakh tonne rice stocks, despite that they have backtracked, what is the intention behind it. It is to scuttle the programme. BJP is anti-poor,’ he added.
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