BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday expressed concerns over the wastage of around 943 tonnes of food worth around Rs 360 crore every year in Bengaluru.
“I know the pain of hunger, the value of rice, that’s why the Anna Bhagya scheme was implemented,” Siddaramaiah said, while speaking at the World Food Day programme organised by the Food and Civil Supplies Department.
It is unfortunate that food wastage is increasing, he said, and added that a study by Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra, Bengaluru, estimates that in the state capital alone, fooCM Siddaramaiah flags Rs 360 crore food wastage in Bengaluru, govt plans grocery kits under Anna Bhagya to curb misused worth around Rs 360 crore is wasted every year.
"Consciously wasting food is arrogance towards food and Mahatma Gandhi had called food wastage a sin," the CM said.
He also said the government will take stern action against those involved in black-marketing of Anna Bhagya rice, and to stop black-marketing of rice, the government is replacing an additional five kg rice with a nutritional food kit, including pulses to replace 5 kg rice.
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said the government was contemplating giving a grocery kit instead of the additional 5 kg rice under the Anna Bhagya scheme to prevent misuse of rice.
“The additional 5 kg of rice given under Anna Bhagya is being misused. In order to prevent it, the government is contemplating giving a grocery kit that includes oil, lentils, sugar, salt, and other items. The kit will be named Indira kit,” he said. On average, a person uses 5-6 kgs of rice in a month, and hence, they have decided to issue grocery kits, he said.
