Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday accused the Narendra Modi-led Union government of conspiring to “scuttle” the State government’s election guarantee by ensuring that Karnataka does not get the required quantum of rice to implement its Anna Bhagya scheme, which aims to provide 10 kg of rice for each member of the BPL family and Antyodaya card holders from July 1.
Alleging that the BJP-led Central government was indulging in politics on the issue, he called it “anti-poor” for trying to derail the scheme which would benefit the poor. He said the Congress government was making all efforts to get rice from other sources and rice-producing States, aimed at supplying it to the needy on time, as promised.
At a press conference here, he said the Centre had taken a “political decision” after agreeing to provide rice to the State. “After the Food Corporation of India (FCI) agreed to provide rice, we had promised to provide rice from July 1. We cannot get that quantum of rice in Karnataka.... Now they are saying they cannot supply rice,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
