In Karnataka, Anna Bhagya cash benefit eludes many

In the first two months since the launch of the Anna Bhagya scheme, beneficiaries have not received cash transfers amounting to nearly Rs 294 crore. 

Two months ago, the Congress government decided to transfer Rs 170 per person from low-income families instead of 5 kg free rice after it failed to procure the grains to fulfil the pre-poll guarantee. Citing issues like document verification and dormant bank accounts, the government did not credit the accounts of nearly 30.90 lakh cards (1.08 crore beneficiaries) in July and 24.44 lakh cards (73 lakh beneficiaries) in August.

According to sources in the Food and Civil Supplies Department, the government has decided not to transfer the unpaid amount over the last two months to beneficiaries.

A main reason why beneficiaries did not receive the amount is that their accounts have not been verified by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Because of this, 21.69 lakh families out of the 30.90 lakh did not receive the amount in July while the number is 14.8 lakh this month. 

Many are not sure why the cash benefit was not provided. Farm labourer Girijavva Shekhappa Hulikatti (50) from Dharwad says she didn’t receive the benefit despite having an active bank account. “Neither the bank nor the fair price shop gave a reason why cash was not credited.”

Under the scheme, the government credits the account of the head of the family (HoF) mentioned in each ration card. Close to 94.4% of HoFs in the state are female and 5.2% are male.

While nearly 1.12 lakh HoFs still need to link their Aadhaar cards with their ration cards, others HoFs have not received the cash benefit since their cards have been declared dormant due to limited transactions.  

Sources in the department say the onus of getting cash benefit is on the cardholders.

Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar, additional director, Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, says that 21 lakh BPL families had banking-related issues in the first month (July). Hence, the government was unable to transfer the amount to them. Now, the government is taking steps for financial inclusion of all beneficiaries.

At a recent press conference, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Minister K H Muniyappa had clarified that beneficiaries who could not avail the benefit for the last two months will not receive the arrears.

He had also said that approximately 5.36 lakh families had not availed ration even once in the past three months. “The government assumed that these families are not in need of the cash benefit.”