Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said that if the BJP was really interested in the welfare of people, it should tell the Centre not to politicise Anna Bhagya scheme and provide necessary quantum of rice to Karnataka.
“Centre is politicising the scheme. Why should the Centre create obstacles for a pro-poor programme? The BJP should tell the Centre not to politicise if it is genuinely interested in people’s welfare,” the Chief Minister told reporters here. “Had the FCI not agreed to supply 2.28 lakh tonnes of rice and asked us to speak to the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, we would have done that. Why should technicalities come in the way of implementing programme for poor?,” he wondered.
On BJP’s demand that the State government should buy rice from Karnataka, he said: “The rice grown in Raichur is Sona Masuri variety that cost ₹55 per kg. Can we give that rice? The five kg rice supplied now by the FCI comes at ₹36.60, including ₹2.60 transport cost.” When his attention was drawn towards another demand that money could be transferred to the beneficiaries instead, he shot back: “We are giving rice so that people can eat. Can people eat money?”
