Karnataka to end cash transfers under Anna Bhagya, full 10 kg rice distribution from February: Report

Karnataka Minister for Food, KH Muniyappa, further confirmed that the central government had agreed to supply the additional quantity.

Updated on: Feb 20, 2025, 09:05:45 IST

By HT News Desk

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Karnataka Minister for Food, KH Muniyappa, announced on Wednesday that the state government will begin distributing the additional 5 kg of free rice under the Anna Bhagya scheme from this month, fulfilling a key pre-poll promise.

The state requires 2.29 lakh metric tonnes of rice per month.

“Starting this month, beneficiaries will receive the full 10 kg of rice as assured under the scheme,” Muniyappa stated at a press conference held at Vidhana Soudha, Bangalore Mirror reported.

He further confirmed that the central government had agreed to supply the additional quantity.

The state requires 2.29 lakh metric tonnes of rice per month, amounting to 27.48 lakh metric tonnes annually, to meet the demand under the scheme, he added.

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Monthly allowance to be discontinued

With the resumption of rice distribution, the Karnataka government will discontinue the monthly cash allowance of ₹170 per person, under Anna BHagya, which was provided in place of rice under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) scheme. Muniyappa clarified that while the cash transfer will continue until January, direct rice distribution will take effect immediately.

Minister Muniyappa emphasized that while Karnataka had sufficient rice stocks earlier, the central government had initially refused to sell rice to the state. This forced the Congress-led government to provide a cash allowance instead. However, with Union Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Pralhad Joshi, now assuring rice supply, the full quota of 10 kg per beneficiary will be implemented as promised in the party’s manifesto.

The announcement follows recent remarks by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, who claimed that the Centre had been offering rice to Karnataka at a subsidized price of ₹22.50 per kg, which could save the state ₹2,280 crore annually. He had accused the state government of being reluctant to accept the offer, a charge Karnataka has now addressed with the decision to resume direct rice distribution.

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