Bengaluru, June 14: Karnataka CM Siddaramiah has alleged that the central government has taken a political decision and deprived the Kannadigas of their share in providing rice. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has promised that no matter what the Centre does, it will be our guarantee to provide rice to the people of the state.
Addressing an emergency press conference at Shakti Bhavan on Racecourse Road in the city on Wednesday, he said that BJP is against the poor. He alleged that they are making such conspiracies to bring bad name to the Congress government.
A letter was written on June 9 to the Food Corporation of India requesting that the state government needs 2.28 lakh metric tons of rice every month in the background that the state government has decided to give 10 kg of rice each month to Antyodaya and BPL card holders. The Food Corporation of India agreed to this on June 12 and wrote to us that they will supply rice at the rate of Rs 3400 per quintal. After this, Siddaramaiah expressed outrage that the central government has taken a political decision.
On June 13, the Union Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies wrote to the Food Corporation of India and directed them to sell 15 lakh MT of wheat and rice under the open market sale scheme. It has also been suggested to stop selling to other states, except North Eastern states. Siddaramaiah alleged that this is a big fraud by the Centre.
We have announced that the scheme will be implemented from July 1 on the basis of the agreement letter by FCI. FCI General Manager Harish had told that there is 7 lakh tonnes of rice stock. Siddaramaiah alleged that the motive behind this was to disrupt the implementation of the Annabhagya programme.
Food Minister KH Muniyappa has already spoken to the rice growing states of Punjab, Telangana, Andhra, Chhattisgarh and Haryana. On June 15, Minister KH Muniyappa will meet the Chief Minister of Telangana. Similarly we will get the information of rice available from Chhattisgarh too. Siddaramaiah said that our aim is to make people get food.
The central government, which keeps rice and cannot give it away, should be called anti-poor. They don’t give rice for free. We give money and get it. They used to give to us as they gave to others. But now the centre has come to the decision that it will not be given to Karnataka. Siddaramaiah said that we are still trying and that he will appeal to the Centre again.
“Even if the central government conspires not to supply rice, we will try to distribute rice. The state government has no problem with money to purchase additional rice. There was no problem in giving rice in the past.
Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Chief Minister.
