Karnataka government starts cash disbursal in lieu of 5 kg rice under 'Anna Bhagya' scheme

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday launched the Direct Beneficiary Transfer (DBT) for beneficiaries under the Anna Bhagya scheme.

Accordingly, the government will credit Rs 170 per head equivalent to 5 kg of rice to each beneficiary account.

The government has calculated the amount at Rs 34 per kg, the price at which it buys rice from the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

Each person in the family registered under the BPL card will receive Rs 170 every month. This means that a family of four will receive Rs 680 per month.

Also Read | Fitting reply to Modi govt's vindictive politics: Karnataka Congress on Anna Bhagya

While the Congress-led government had promised 10 kg rice per head per month under the Anna Bhagya scheme, it was unable to procure 5 kg rice in addition to what was guaranteed under the National Food Security Act, after the Centre recently banned the sale of rice in the open market scheme to state governments.

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP government at the Centre, Siddaramaiah said not only did the union government deny rice to the people of Karnataka, after refusing to give additional rice, the government started auctioning the same through e-auction.

"As per media reports, no one is coming forward to buy rice. Is this not dirty politics?" he sought to know.

He alleged that the BJP government was into anti-poor politics. "We did not ask the rice for free. We would have paid Rs 34 per kg," he said, emphasising that Anna Bhagya was the most significant of the five guarantees. He recalled that it was the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government which brought the National Food Security Act.

Anna Bhagya is expected to benefit 4.42 crore beneficiaries in the state. To begin with, the government launched the DBT for beneficiaries in Mysuru and Kolar - the native districts of Siddaramaiah and Food & Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa, respectively. The money will be credited to beneficiaries across the state in a phased manner beginning Tuesday.

Monday marked the 50th day of the Siddaramaiah-led government in Karnataka. Ten years ago, when Siddaramaiah took charge as the Chief Minister in 2013, it was on July 10 that he launched his pet project Anna Bhagya, with a vision to eradicate hunger in the state and in an effort to uphold the ideal of 'Basava Dasoha'.