Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called his Telangana counterpart K.Chandrashekar Rao seeking rice stocks to launch the Anna Bhagya guarantee scheme, under which the newly-formed Congress government in Karnataka has promised to distribute 10 kg of rice for free for every BPL family.
This was disclosed by Chief Minister K.Chandrashekar Rao while addressing party leaders and workers after inaugurating the BRS office in Nagpur in Maharashtra.“He asked me finalise the price.Negotiations are going on.The modalities will be worked out,” Rao said.
Siddaramaiah’s phone call came a day after Centre stopped the sale of wheat and rice to states under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS).The Karnataka CM alleged that it was a conspiracy to stop them from implementing the ‘Anna Bhagya.
Telangana civil supplies officials stated that Telangana will not be affected by Centre’s decision.
They said Telangana had abundant rice stocks to meet its PDS needs and does not purchase rice from the FCI.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said that the Centre is “doing politics” over the free rice distribution scheme and “deliberately not providing” the commodity to the state.The Congress in Karnataka announced a day-long protest on 20 June at all district headquarters against the Union government’s decision to halt the supply of food grains under the Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) (OMSS-D) to states.
Anna Bhagya Scheme is one of the five poll guarantees the Congress had made during the run-up to the Karnataka Assembly polls in May.The scheme envisaged providing 10 kgs of rice to all Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Antyodaya card holders.
