Non-availability of rice may push 'Anna Bhagya' scheme's implementation to August

Unable to procure rice, Karnataka government is planning to implement Anna Bhagya scheme from August instead of July, sources in the government said.

Though it planned to implement it on July 1st, it failed to get rice from the Food Corporation of India or any other sources. Even as some of the states like Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Punjab have promised to supply rice, the state is still negotiating prices.

Some of the states have promised to give only paddy and for which the state has to take responsibility for milling. If we get rice in July end, we could implement the scheme only in August, sources said.

Also Read | Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah discusses rice supply issue with HM Amit Shah

Congress, which promised to give 10 kg rice to the poor under Anna Bhagya, a pre-poll guarantee scheme, earlier planned to implement it from July. Now it is planning to start the scheme in August with giving 3 kgs of rice and two kgs or ragi or jowar, sources said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is in Delhi on Wednesday said implementation of the scheme would be delayed due to non-availability of rice.

Attacking the Central Government for refusing to supply additional rice to the state, the CM said he had raised the issue with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his meeting. He also said Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal is not in town to discuss the issue.

Chhattisgarh has informed that it can supply 1 lakh tonnes of rice a month and Telangana has said it can give only paddy, not rice. Andhra Pradesh is quoting Rs 42-43 per kg for the rice. Punjab is yet to respond on this issue, he said.

Siddaramaiah further said that if the state government has to buy from the open market, it has to invite bids and the process would take two months. This can delay the implementation, he said.

However, state food and civil supplies minister K H Muniyappa said the state has invited quotations from the central government agencies. They will share the quotation on Thursday and based on that we will take a call," the chief minister said.

The state government requires 2.28 lakh tonnes of rice for the scheme, he added.

He said that the Centre has refused to supply rice but Goyal should have at least met them and heard them out.