'Anna Bhagya beneficial to poor'

Minister Srinivas Prasad instructs officials to check misuse of the scheme

Revenue and District in-charge Minister V Srinivas Prasad on Wednesday said Anna Bhagya rice scheme, an ambitious programme of the State government to give rice up to 30 kg at Rs one per kg, for BPL card holders was intended at strengthening the economically weaker sections and bringing them into the mainstream of the society.

Speaking after launching the programme at Sarada Vilas College Centenary Hall here, Prasad said that with the new programme, the card holders would get more quantity of rice at a lesser price.

Giving an account of the beneficiaries in the district, Prasad said the numbers of single member card holders alone stood at 25,692; followed by two member (per card) at 57,649; and three members at 4,39,180, totalling 5,22, 853 card holders in all.

In all there are three lakh single member card holders; eight lakh two member card holders; and 87 lakh three member card holders in the State.

Henceforth single member families will get 10 kg, two member families - 20 kg, and families with three members and above - 30 kg of rice.

Prasad, instructed the officers to see to it that the scheme was not misused, as the role of  bureaucrats was pivotal in the success of any government schemes.

Recalling his stint as the union minister of state for Food and Civil Supplies in the year 1999 during the tenure of BJP led NDA government by the then Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, Prasad said he had devised many people-friendly programmes.

Five selected beneficiaries were given rice in plastic bags to mark the occasion. They are- Bhuvaneshwari, Rukminiyamma, Chintamani, Rubina and Puttasiddamma.

N R MLA Tanveer Sait and Chamundeshwari MLA G T Devegowda also appealed to the district administration to check the misuse of the benefit.

Deputy commissioner Ramegowda, deputy director of the department Kumuda Girish and others were present.

In Mandya, the scheme was launched in Keelar village of Mandya taluk by Housing and District-in-charge Minister M H Ambareesh, who distributed bags of 10 kgs of rice to beneficiaries of the programme.

In Hassan, despite questions raised about the feasibility of the scheme, the programme to provide rice at affordable prices to the poor would be a success, said PWD and District-in-charge Minister Dr H C Mahadevappa in Hassan on Wednesday.

In Chamarajanagar, Co-operation Minister H S Mahadeva Prasad launched the scheme in Gundlupet, Chamarajanagar district.