Row over rice supply, Congress to stage protest against Centre

Image used for representational purpose.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said the Congress will hold protests at all district centres against the BJP government at the Centre on June 20, as he accused it of ensuring that the state doesn't get the required amount of rice to implement its 'Anna Bhagya' scheme, which provides additional 5 kg of rice for BPL families.

Noting that the state government is making all efforts to procure rice from other sources and from producing states, he indicated that there may be slight delay in rolling out the scheme against the scheduled date of July one.

"I want to congratulate BJP national President J P Nadda, as they (BJP) have walked the talk", Shivakumar said sarcastically. "It was reported in the media quoting him that if BJP loses the election central schemes to the state will get affected, he has kept up his word. Even as the Prime Minister speaks about federal structure..."

Speaking to reporters here, he said, the BJP government at the Centre is indulging in "politics of hate" by ensuring that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) does not supply the required amount of rice to implement the scheme; it is their way of registering a protest against Karnataka's poor for voting in favour of Congress.

"BJP is a party that betrays the poor. Congress party and the government condemns and protests this. On on June 20 at 11 am, the Congress will stage protests at all district centres across the state against the BJP government at the Centre. The protests will be organised by local leadership of the party at district level, all MLAs and leaders from the district will take part in the protest," he added.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had recently said that the central government has stalled the sale of wheat and rice to state governments under the Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) (OMSSD), which prohibits the FCI from selling any additional rice to Karnataka for its Anna Bhagya scheme.

Noting that the state government is committed to provide 10 kg of free rice to the poor, the DCM said, "we are in talks with neighbouring states like Telangana, also Chhattisgarh, which are rice producing states, on the stocks available with them for procurement.

He said it is not difficult for us to procure from the open market, but we want to maintain transparency.

"The Centre has rice stock of over seven lakh metric tonne, we asked for about 2,88,000 metric tonnes. Despite having stock they are not giving. As they (FCI) had initially agreed to give rice, we had announced that we will supply from July 1. We will arrange rice somehow and roll out the scheme, there may be a couple of days delay due to procurement and transportation," he added.
Shivakumar also expressed hope that MPs from the state will come forward to help Karnataka, and said, "we will write to them to put pressure on the centre in the interest of the state."

Out of 28 MPs from the state, 25 are from BJP.

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