BENGALURU: Below poverty line (BPL) families can expect some good news from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s tenth budget to be presented on March 13.
For, fair price shops will soon offer pulses, edible oil, salt and other food commodities at subsidised prices, apart from rice at `1 per kg (Anna Bhagya scheme).
Siddaramaiah is almost certain to announce this initiative in his budget, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dinesh Gundurao said on Tuesday after releasing an assessment report on Anna Bhagya scheme.
Even above poverty line (APL) families will have reason to cheer as a new scheme to distribute rice at a reasonable price is also likely to be announced in the budget, he said.
According to the minister, the state government is also contemplating reducing the present rice quota of 30 kg per family under the Anna Bhagya scheme for BPL families.
“We want to improve the nutrition value by including ragi, maize, pulses like tur dal, edible oil and other commodities in the public distribution system (PDS). We have made a strong demand with the chief minister in this regard,” Gundurao said.
The report, submitted by the Grassoots Research and Advocacy Movement, Mysuru, has recommended strengthening of vigilance committees to prevent irregularities in the Anna Bhagya scheme.
Surrender bogus ration cards before April 30: The state government has set a deadline of April 30 to surrender bogus ration cards. The minister has warned of stringent legal action against those who fail to do so. About 8.73 lakh BPL cards have been cancelled since Anna Bhagya scheme was launched, Gundurao said.
Apply for new ration cards from May 1: The system of submitting online applications for obtaining new ration cards would be resumed from May 1. The application format would have compulsory columns for details on voter ID card number and Aadhaar number of the applicants.