Karnataka considering giving pulses, sugar or edible oil to the poor instead of cash or rice
14-Aug-2024 01:35 PM
Bangalore. Karnataka's Food and Civil Supplies Minister has said that the government is now planning to ensure distribution of pulses, sugar or edible oil to BPL families instead of cash or rice under the Anna Bhagya Scheme.
At present, BPL card holders are being given cash under this scheme, but a recent survey has revealed that 93 percent of the beneficiaries of this scheme are in favor of being given pulses, sugar or edible oil. Keeping this in mind, the issue will be discussed with the concerned officials and the Chief Minister.
After meeting the Union Food Minister, Karnataka's Civil Supplies Minister said that the Union Minister has promised that the government will provide whatever amount of rice the state government needs for distribution among the poor.
Anyway, the Center has opened rice warehouses for the states and has also approved its purchase at a fixed price.
It is noteworthy that under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, the Central Government is providing free rice at the rate of 5 kg per person per month to ration card holders.
The Food Minister of Karnataka says that if the state government also provides rice to the card holders under the Anna Bhagya Yojana, it will be too much for the beneficiaries, instead if it is provided with stock of pulses, edible oil or sugar, it will prove more beneficial for it.
In the last assembly elections, the Karnataka government had promised to start the Anna Bhagya Yojana for the beneficiaries and to give additional rice to the card holders under it.
After the elections, this scheme was implemented but the Central Government refused to give rice to Karnataka from its stock.
As a result, the state government started giving its price to the beneficiaries instead of rice. Now the Center has a very huge stock of rice and it is getting restless to reduce it,
but most of the states are not ready to buy it because there is no scheme like Karnataka running there and the Karnataka government itself is planning to change its scheme and start distribution of pulses, oil or sugar instead of rice.