Karnataka: In a significant setback for the Congress-led government, Telangana has revealed that it does not possess sufficient rice reserves to supply to Karnataka for the implementation of the Anna Bhagya scheme. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made this announcement following a discussion with his Telangana counterpart, K Chandrashekar Rao. "He informed me that they are facing a shortage of rice," Siddaramaiah informed reporters.
In response to the shortage, Karnataka has sought assistance from Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh for rice supplies. "They have agreed to provide 1.5 lakh metric tonnes, but the cost is high due to transportation expenses," Siddaramaiah stated. The Chief Secretary, Vandita Sharma, has been instructed to establish communication with Andhra Pradesh regarding potential alternatives.
Aware of the pressing situation, Siddaramaiah has scheduled a meeting for later in the day to explore available options. "We will assess the situation and come up with a plan," he stated.
To meet the demand of distributing 10 kg of rice per person to all Priority Households (PHH), Karnataka requires a total of 4.45 lakh metric tonnes. Out of this, the state is set to receive 2.17 lakh metric tonnes from the central government under the National Food Security Act. The remaining 2.28 lakh metric tonnes need to be procured from the state's own resources to provide an additional 5 kg of rice to each household.
Earlier this week, Siddaramaiah accused the Modi administration of deliberately obstructing the Anna Bhagya scheme. On June 12, Siddaramaiah claimed that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) had approved Karnataka's request to procure 2.28 lakh metric tonnes of rice under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS). However, on June 13, the union ministry informed the FCI that OMSS had been discontinued for state governments. Siddaramaiah has accused the BJP-led central government of acting out of "vendetta," a claim that has been refuted by the saffron party.
