BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday attacked the Union government for discontinuing the sale of wheat and rice to states under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS). He alleged that it was a conspiracy to stop the Karnataka Congress government from implementing the ‘Anna Bhagya’ guarantee scheme -- 10kgs of free rice to every member of a BPL family from July 1, as promised in the run-up to the May 10 assembly polls.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, in a letter to the chairman and managing director of Food Corporation of India, dated June 13, stated that the sale of wheat and rice under OMSS (Domestic) for state governments was discontinued.
Union govt’s motive is to obstruct Anna Bhagya, says CM
However, it will be continued for the northeast states, hilly states and states facing law and order situations and natural calamities at the existing rate of Rs 3,400 per quintal, it said. It has instructed FCI to sell 15 lakh MT of wheat and rice under the OMSS-D.
Siddaramaiah, who read out the letter, asserted that regardless of the conspiracy, 10kgs of rice per head will be distributed. There is no problem as 5kgs per head will be procured from neighbouring states, and Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa will visit Telangana on Thursday to hold negotiations with Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao.
“The Central government has proved itself anti-poor and anti-Kannadiga, as it has taken a political stance and taken away the state’s share,” Siddaramaiah said, at an emergency press conference called in connection with the Annabhagya Yojana at Shakti Bhavan.
He claimed that on June 9, a letter was written to the deputy general manager of FCI, seeking the requirement of 2.28 lakh MT to distribute 10kgs of rice to each Antyodaya and BPL card holders every month. On June 12, FCI agreed to supply rice through an agreement at Rs 3,400 per quintal. But soon, the Central government had taken a political decision.
FCI General Manager Harish had said that there is 7 lakh tonnes of rice stock, Siddaramaiah informed. “The motive behind this was to obstruct the Anna Bhagya programme from being implemented, as the Karnataka government will become popular,” he alleged. Muniyappa has already spoken to the rice producing states of Punjab, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Haryana. He said that due to lack of storage facilities in Punjab, rice cannot be supplied, and that he would meet the Telangana chief minister on Thursday.
“Similarly, the information on rice available from the state of Chhattisgarh will be available and a clear picture will emerge by tomorrow evening,” he said. Despite having sufficient stock of rice, the Centre is writing to FCI to not give it to the states on OMSS should be called anti-poor, he said. However he clarified that the state government will write to the centre again and appeal in this regard. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil was also present.