Below Poverty Line (BPL) families can now take wheat, jowar or ragi, in addition to rice, under the Anna Bhagya scheme.
However, the total quantity of food grain, 30 kg per card holder, will not change, the State Cabinet took a decision to this effect on Friday.
The revised scheme will be launched across the State on October 2, the 145th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The Cabinet had decided the combinations under which the existing stocks of food grain could be disbursed, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, T B Jayachandra, told reporters.
“Wheat, jowar and ragi will be distributed as per demand from people in various regions of the State. In north Karnataka, jowar will be available at Re 1 per kilo. People in south Karnataka can get their staple diet ragi at Re 1 per kilo,” he said.
Boiled rice
The Cabinet also approved the procurement and supply of boiled rice for beneficiaries in coastal Karnataka under the scheme, instead of the processed rice distributed elsewhere in the State.
The minister said the State had wheat in abundance, but additional stocks of jowar and ragi would have to be procured.
“We are giving advance approval for providing the additional food grain so that the Food and Civil Supplies Department can begin procuring the additional requirements,” he said.
Shortfall in ragi
As the government is likely to approach Maharashtra to procure jowar, Jayachandra admitted there could be similar shortfall in procurement of ragi for the scheme.
“The low production of ragi has forced us to limit its procurement for the scheme. We intend to procure ragi and even jowar from farmers. Hopefully, it would help increase the production of the food grain,” Jayachandra explained.
Jayachandra also said the government’s intervention would help to create a stable atmosphere in the future in the pricing of these additional food grain.
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