Congress and BJP Clash over Anna Bhagya Scheme in Karnataka as Government Scrambles for Rice Supply from Other States

The Ruling Congress party and the Opposition BJP took to the streets of Bengaluru on Tuesday to stage demonstrations regarding the fulfilment of the Congress party's electoral commitments, particularly focusing on the Anna Bhagya scheme. This initiative aims to provide 10 kg of grains per month to every member of the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in Karnataka.

However, the implementation of the Anna Bhagya scheme in the state is proving to be a challenging task for the Karnataka government. This difficulty arises from the unavailability of the required quantity of rice, as the Food Corporation of India (FCI) ceased the sale of rice to state governments starting from June 12.

The ruling Congress party staged a protest against the decision of the BJP-led central government to halt the sale of rice to states. Simultaneously, the BJP accused Congress of making "false promises" and urged the state government to provide 15 kg of rice per person to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in order to fulfil their pre-election commitment.

Despite ongoing negotiations between the Congress government and multiple state governments to secure the monthly requirement of 2.28 lakh metric tonnes for implementing the scheme, the demonstrations persisted.

After a demonstration took place at Freedom Park, former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and BJP MLA R Ashok criticized the state government for employing excuses to postpone the implementation of Anna Bhagya while placing blame on the Central government.

The Congress leaders are using this protest as an excuse to delay the launch of the scheme," stated Ashok. "They believe that by postponing it by a day, they can save crores of rupees. And if they delay it by a month, they can save thousands of crores. They are employing delaying tactics and using the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a shield.

Bommai emphasized that the BJP's request was for the state government to provide 15 kg of rice per individual through the scheme. He pointed out that Prime Minister Modi already allocated 5 kg of rice to low-income families, and he urged the Congress party to supplement it by offering an additional 10 kg of rice to ensure that each person receives a total of 15 kg per month.

He contended that the implementation of the new initiatives would place an immense burden on the state's resources. Additionally, he expressed concern that the transport department, responsible for implementing the free travel scheme for women, would lack the funds necessary to purchase diesel.

During a state-wide protest organized by the Congress against the Union government, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar informed reporters that the Congress had promised only 10 kg of rice in their manifesto. He highlighted that it was Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who had initiated the free rice scheme for the impoverished in 2013, initially providing 5 kg and later increasing it to 7 kg. The BJP subsequently reduced the allocation by two kilograms. Presently, the Congress has pledged to provide 10 kg of rice to benefit the underprivileged.

On June 19, the Congress government in Karnataka, facing challenges in procuring rice for its ambitious Anna Bhagya scheme, received a glimmer of hope. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab expressed its willingness, in principle, to provide the required quantity of rice. Meanwhile, the State government is also making efforts to obtain rice from national-level cooperative agencies.