BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has hinted that Karnataka may be unable to get the 2.38 lakh tonne of rice required for the supply of an additional 5 kg per person under the Anna Bhagya scheme as neighboring states have declined its requests. If the rice is brought from Chhattisgarh, the transportation cost will be too high, he said.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Siddaramaiah said they sought rice from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. “Telangana has declined the request, while Andhra government has not committed. The Chhattisgarh government has promised to supply around 1.5 lakh tonne of rice, but going by the distance, the cost of transportation will be high,” he said.
When asked why they are not buying rice from Karnataka farmers, he said paddy is grown in large areas only in Raichur. “Rice is expensive there, coming at Rs 55 per kg, while rice from the Food Corporation of India is Rs 34 per kg,” he said.
He said the Centre is playing politics. This scheme is for the poor. “Earlier, they earlier agreed to provide an additional five kg rice per day. But later, they wrote back that they cannot,” he said. On industry associations set to protest against the power tariff hike, the CM said officials are trying to convince them.
Congress to send foodgrains to FCI
Tumakuru: With mounds of paddy, ragi and jowar grains, Congress workers conducted a mock harvest in protest against the Centre for discontinuing the sale of rice to states, at the Town Hall Circle here on Sunday. District Congress president Chandrashekar Gowda said the foodgrains will be sent to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) as a mark of protest. He alleged that the Centre’s move was mainly targeted at scuttling the implementation of the state government’s Anna Bhagya scheme. About 1.28 crore families and 4.42 crore people will be affected by the Centre’s decision, he added. ENS