Anna Bhagya scheme: Centre categorically refuses to sell rice to Karnataka, delaying launch date

The Centre on Friday, June 23, categorically refused to supply rice to Karnataka for its flagship Anna Bhagya scheme. This makes it certain that the launch of the scheme, which was scheduled for July 1, will be delayed. The Centre’s decision was conveyed to Karnataka’s Food and Civil Supplies Minister K.H. Muniyappa by Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal in Delhi.

The Centre on Friday, June 23, categorically refused to supply rice to Karnataka for its flagship Anna Bhagya scheme. This makes it certain that the launch of the scheme, which was scheduled for July 1, will be delayed. The Centre’s decision was conveyed to Karnataka’s Food and Civil Supplies Minister K.H. Muniyappa by Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal in Delhi.

“The Union Government, worried about the scheme that is likely to become popular, has played politics by denying us the rice. They have sufficient quantity of rice that will remain after completing their supplies under the PDS for all the States. We are disappointed at this attitude,” Mr. Muniyappa told The Hindu over phone from Delhi. While he had returned to Bengaluru on Thursday morning, he had to head back to Delhi after Mr. Goyal gave him an appointment for Friday morning.

Mr. Muniyappa said, “The Centre requires 135 lakh metric tonnes for the national supply, whereas they have a stock of 262 lakh metric tonnes. We pointed out that they can supply us rice since they had enough, but they were not relenting. We were not asking rice free or cost.” He said that this was just an attempt to derail the pro-poor programme of the Congress government in the State.

The Congress government, which announced Anna Bhagya scheme as one of the five pre-poll guarantees, is looking to supply five kg of rice per person for BPL card-holding families over and above the five kg that the Centre is supplying currently. With about 2.29 lakh metric tonnes of additional required per month, the scheme is likely to cost about ₹10,000 crore. The Food Corporation of India (FCI), which had initially agreed to supply the quantity, later rescinded its decision, forcing the State to look for other sources that has now proved to be expensive. While FCI could supply rice at ₹36.60 per kg, including ₹2.60 transportation cost, procurement of rice from Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Punjab is estimated to be higher than the FCI cost.