Hyderabad-Karnataka Dalita Sangharsha Samiti (HKDSS) activists protested against the newly introduced unit system in the Anna Bhagya scheme by throwing rice on roads in Raichur on Friday.
The activists first assembled at Dr. Ambedkar Circle and then marched to the office of the Deputy Commissioner throwing PDS rice on the road. They staged a demonstration in the middle of the road in front of the main gate of the Deputy Commissioner. Traffic was completely disrupted for about an hour.
The police diverted the vehicles at Basaveshwara Circle and Veerashaiva Kalyana Mantap.
“We were very happy when Siddaramaiah announced the Anna Bhagya scheme within an hour of assuming power as Chief Minister two years ago. However, he gradually drifted away from his promise by modifying the scheme. Now the newly introduced unit system would render millions hungry,” Jayappa Bandi, a leader of HKDSS, said during the protest.
He demanded that the government provide 30 kg of rice to each family at an affordable rate.
He criticised the government for its “unwillingness” to offer food grains to the economically weaker sections at affordable prices.
In order to curb irregularities and corruption at PDS outlets, he added, the government should see that each fair price shop had not more than 500 ration cards.
They urged the government to curb the irregularities in the implementation of Anna Bhagya scheme, but not to deprive the downtrodden masses of their legitimate right to food.
A memorandum was submitted to the office of Deputy Commissioner. Govindaraj Hosur, Shantakumar, Babudanni, Ramanna, Polaraj, D. Krishnamurthy, Narasappa Phirangi, Maresh Bhandari and other Dalit leaders were present.
