Congress Slams PM Modi For Disrupting Karnataka Government’s Anna Bhagya Scheme
On June 13, 2023, the Modi government abruptly halted the sale of rice to state governments under the Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic), reversing orders previously issued to Karnataka by the Food Corporation of India, claims Congress party. This decision, according to party’s general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh, was intended to disrupt Karnataka’s Anna Bhagya Scheme, which aims to double the rice quota for individuals entitled to grain under the National Food Security Act (2013).
Despite the central government’s refusal to sell adequate rice, the Karnataka government maintained the scheme through a cash transfer of Rs. 170 per month for each eligible beneficiary, covering the cost of purchasing 5kg of rice, a statement from the party said.
A year later, it added that, evidence has surfaced showing that this decision not only deprived Karnataka’s citizens of an additional 5 kilograms of rice but also increased India’s food subsidy bill by tens of thousands of crores. The Modi government’s justification for halting the rice sales—claims of depleted stocks due to poor monsoon and high prices—has been debunked. A Hindustan Times report from July 4, 2024, revealed that the government is storing 50 million tonnes of rice, three times the required buffer of 13.54 million tonnes. It costs the FCI ₹3975 to buy, transport, and stock one quintal (100 kg) of rice.
With the budget approaching, the government has acknowledged the significant costs imposed by what the Congress describes as the Prime Minister’s vendetta politics and has decided to resume rice sales to states.
Congress has raised several questions:
- Will the Prime Minister, who withdrew his support to Karnataka after it elected a Congress government in May 2023, apologize to the 6.5 crore people of Karnataka for obstructing their democratically elected state government from implementing its schemes?
- Will the Prime Minister apologize to the taxpayers of India for inflating the food subsidy bill by an estimated ₹16000-₹18000 crore by stopping the sale of excess rice stock to Karnataka and other states?
- Will the 17 BJP MPs and the 2 JD(S) MPs elected from Karnataka, along with the Cabinet Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution—also from Karnataka—seek fair compensation from the Government of India for the injustice done to the poorest in Karnataka?
