Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said that if the BJP was really interested in the welfare of people, it should tell the Centre not to politicise Anna Bhagya scheme and provide necessary quantum of rice to Karnataka.
“Centre is politicising the scheme. Why should the Centre create obstacles for a pro-poor programme? The BJP should tell the Centre not to politicise if it is genuinely interested in people’s welfare,” the Chief Minister told reporters here. “Had the FCI not agreed to supply 2.28 lakh tonnes of rice and asked us to speak to the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, we would have done that. Why should technicalities come in the way of implementing programme for poor?,” he wondered.
On BJP’s demand that the State government should buy rice from Karnataka, he said: “The rice grown in Raichur is Sona Masuri variety that cost ₹55 per kg. Can we give that rice? The five kg rice supplied now by the FCI comes at ₹36.60, including ₹2.60 transport cost.” When his attention was drawn towards another demand that money could be transferred to the beneficiaries instead, he shot back: “We are giving rice so that people can eat. Can people eat money?”
Mr. Siddaramaiah said: “We are speaking to Andhra Pradesh, but they are not speaking on supply. Telangana has intimated that it is not possible. Chhattisgarh has indicated that it can only supply 1.5 lakh tonnes and cannot meet 2.28 lakh tonnes.”
Meanwhile, MLA and BJP State vice-president B.Y. Vijayendra criticised the Congress government for trying to procure rice from other States. He ridiculed that the Congress government had more love for other States and hence was trying to procure from them.
Pointing out that the Centre was helping the state to get 5 kg of rice under the PDS, he demanded that the Congress government that has promised to provide 10 kg of rice should ensure that its promise is over and above that of 5 kg of rice being given by the Centre. This would mean that the Congress would have to give 15 kg of rice a month to keep up its word, he argued.
