Karnataka: Congress slams Centre over reports of 18 million tonnes rice wasted amidst Anna Bhagya shortfall

The State Congress on Tuesday hit out at the Centre over reports of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) trying to dispose off 18 million tonnes of rice stored in its godowns over warehousing costs. The state government, the party said, had offered to procure rice at Rs 34 per kilo for its Anna Bhagya scheme, but the Centre “had with its step motherly attitude towards us, refused to sell rice even when it was in abundant supply.”

“Today, 18 million tonnes of rice is going to waste and the Central Government is scrambling for alternatives…they would have rather had the rice go to waste than to feed the hungry and needy in Karnataka,” the Congress said on social media platform X.

Anna Bhagya was one of the first schemes announced by the Siddaramaiah government after the Congress won the May assembly election. The Congress regime had pledged to provide 10 kg of free rice to low-income families under the scheme, including 5 kg of rice supplied by the Centre. It covered an estimated 12.8 million low-income families consisting of about 44.2 million people.


The state was aiming to buy the 228,000 tonnes of rice required for the scheme from the FCI, but the central government asked the corporation to sell the grain on the open market. After trying and failing to procure enough rice at reduced rates from other states, the government finally decided to pay Rs 170 per month to each of the state’s low-income families instead of 5 kg of free rice as a temporary measure.