BENGALURU: Senior JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday in the Assembly cited The New Indian Express report on giving cash to beneficiaries instead of 5 kg rice under the Anna Bhagya scheme. He asked the government how it will get the bank account details of beneficiaries to transfer cash.
During the discussion on the governor’s speech, he read out the entire article published in The New Indian Express on June 30 with the headline, “ No bank details in BPL cards, tough for Karnataka govt to send money”. Kumaraswamy said he is not against the scheme, but wanted to know how the government will send money through direct benefit transfer, while there are no bank details in ration cards.
In reply, CM Siddaramiah said there are 1.28 crore APL and BPL cards and 4.42 crore beneficiaries. “There is no issue. We will send money,” he said.
Give grains, oil instead of 5 kg rice, HDK telss govt
HD Kumaraswamy urged the government to give grains, oil and sugar instead of 5 kg of additional rice which has been announced in Anna Bhagya. He said the state government is giving Rs 170 cash per beneficiary instead of 5 kg rice. “If a family uses the money to purchase rice or grains, I have no issues. With liquor shops open early in the morning, people, especially from the working class, stand there. What if they misuse this money to buy liquor,” he asked.