Karnataka: BPL card holders to get money in lieu of 5 kg rice
‘We tried to get rice but no institution came forward to supply us the required amount (to give additionally)’;
As the Karnataka government is facing difficulty in procuring large quantities of rice required to fulfil its poll guarantee, it has decided to pay beneficiaries cash at the rate of Rs 34 per kilo, for the additional 5kg of the foodgrain promised under the ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme.
The Congress, in its election manifesto, had promised to give an additional five kg rice a month along with five kg given by the Centre for free.
The state government said the disbursement of money will start from July 1.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after a Cabinet meeting here on Wednesday said that the government has decided to go for open market tender to procure rice, whose process will start from Thursday.
Briefing reporters, Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa said: “The FCI (Food Corporation of India) has a standard rate of Rs 34 per kg rice. We tried to get rice but no institution came forward to supply us the required amount of rice (to give additionally).”
He said: “Since the date for launching Anna Bhagya has arrived (July 1) and we had given word, today in the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and other ministers arrived at a decision that till the time the rice is supplied, we will give money at the rate of Rs 34 per kg, which is the FCI rate, to the (BPL) ration card holders.”
If there is one person in one card then he/she will get Rs 170 a month against five kg additional rice under the Anna Bhagya scheme, the minister explained.
Two persons in the ration card will be entitled for Rs 340 and if there are five members then they would get Rs 850 a month, he added.
Siddaramaiah said the money will go into the account of the head of the family.
“If there is one person then he will get Rs 170, if there are two, then 170x2, there are four then the head of the family will get Rs 170x4,” he said.
The Chief Minister added that the five kg rice is in addition to the five kg rice given by the Centre. “We had said we will give 10 kg of rice. Already the Centre is giving five kg. We will give five kg rice extra,” he explained.