Anna Bhagya Scheme: After Chhattisgarh, Punjab offers to provide rice to Karnataka

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab has agreed to provide the required rice for Karnataka’s ambitious Anna Bhagya Scheme.

The scheme aims to increase the allocation of free rice per person on a Below Poverty Line (BPL) card from 5 kg to 10 kg, a move that will cost the exchequer ₹10,092 crore annually.

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According to reports, the offer from Punjab to supply rice came after the AAP’s Karnataka informed the state government that Punjab had sufficient rice and was willing to supply it to Karnataka in the spirit of federal cooperation.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann of Punjab had a conversation on Monday (June 19). Other modalities are being worked on.

Earlier, Chattisgarh offered to give rice, but Telangana declined.

Meanwhile, politics over rice supply heated up on Tuesday (June 20), with the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP sparring with each other over the issue and staging demonstrations in various parts of the state.

The Congress staged protests in all district headquarters of the state against the BJP-led Centre for allegedly denying rice for the Karnataka government’s Anna Bhagya scheme.

On the other hand, several BJP leaders, including former CM Basavaraj Bommai were detained while holding protests in some parts of the state against the Congress government’s alleged failure to provide 10 kg rice to each BPL family member.

In the state capital of Bengaluru, the Congress leaders staged demonstrations amid heavy downpour.

Move comes after Centre’s refusal

Karnataka is talking to rice-producing states after the Centre reportedly stalled the sale of wheat and rice to state governments under the Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) (OMSSD), which prohibits the Food Corporation of India (FCI) from selling any additional rice to the state for its Anna Bhagya scheme.

The Chief Minister and his cabinet ministers alleged that the Centre discontinued the sale of wheat and rice under OMSS(D) for state governments, a day after the FCI which has a large quantity of stocks had agreed to provide 2,08,425.750 metric tonne of rice to Karnataka at a rate of Rs 34 per kg.