Karnataka: Siddaramaiah-led govt to give cash instead of rice under Anna Bhagya Scheme

The Siddaramaiah-led leadership in Karnataka has decided to give beneficiaries of the Anna Bhagya scheme cash instead of rice after facing a shortage in supply.

Published on: Jun 29, 2023, 13:32:35 IST

By Yamini C S

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The Siddaramaiah-led leadership in Karnataka has decided to give beneficiaries of the Anna Bhagya scheme cash instead of rice after facing a shortage in supply. The Congress government is facing hiccups in the implementation of multiple schemes that were a part of their election manifesto in the southern state. The state faced billing errors by power supply companies under the Gruha Jyothi scheme even before its implementation, leading to the state-wide strike last Thursday.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah. (PTI)

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The Congress party had guaranteed five kilos of additional rice to each beneficiary under the 'Anna Bhagya' scheme, but decided to credit cash at the rate of ₹34 per kilo upon facing a shortage in supply, news agency ANI reported. Therefore, each beneficiary would get ₹170 under the scheme, according to chief minister Siddaramaiah.

"As soon as the state is able to procure the rice, rice will be distributed to BPL and Anthyodaya cardholders instead of money," Siddaramaiah said. The decision was taken in the cabinet as the government did not want to go back on its promises.

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"The BJP in the state should have talked to the centre about giving rice to the poor. I met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and State Food Ministers and requested them to supply rice. NCCF, NAFED, and Kendriya Bhandara, these three organizations have increased the price prescribed for the supply of rice. NCCF suggested 32.94 and we asked for ₹32.24. Tenders are being called transparently to buy rice in the open market" CM Siddaramaiah added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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