TUMAKURU: With the former food and civil supplies minister U T Khader raising the issue of the Centre stopping the welfare scheme to provide foodgrains through subsidy to NGOs it came to the fore that even the institutions like Siddaganga Mutt got affected from the same.
"As the scheme reportedly got misused by some NGOs in north India it seemingly stopped which affected us as well. The Mutt lost 750 quintals of rice and 200 quintals of wheat", informed the head of the Mutt Sri Siddalinga Swamiji.
The administrative officer of the mutt Vishwanathaiah also admitted that the supply has been stopped. "The Mutt has over 10,000 students and receiving an average of 3,000 visitors daily and all of them were being fed with food normally with the blessings of Sri Shivakumara Swamiji", he remarked.
What helped the Mutt to cope up with the situation was that farmers and the industrialists from across the state helping with the donations and foodgrains. "Thousands of quintals of paddy had arrived at the time Sri Shivakumara Swamiji passed away and we have been utilising the stock and there will be no shortage of foodgrains at all", maintained the AO.
The deputy commissioner Dr. K Rakesh Kumar clarified that the 'Aksha Dasoha'- Bisioota(midday meals) has not been affected at all as the supplies have been done with regularly following the indent by the Mutt.
The ZP CEO Shubha Kalyan informed TNIE that as for as the 'Akshara Dasoha' midday meals scheme concerned the state and Centre's share of 40:60 percent has prevailed. "Might be under some other welfare scheme the subsidy has been stopped", he maintained.
The district officer for Akshara Dasoha B P Nagaraju has also clarified that the schools of the Mutt have been supplied with the foodgrains, milk and edible oils following the indent.
According to sources what affected the Mutt and other NGOs of the state is the Centre stopping the subsidy against the foodgrains to feed the public under welfare schemes. Apparently, organisations like Siddaganga Mutt which has a residential 'gurukula' for over 10,000 students need to provide breakfast, lunch and also dinner. When the subsidy under the welfare scheme cut, it will create a deficit for the organisation as it has to manage with its own resources.