It’s Karnataka’s bad luck that Centre is sabotaging Anna Bhagya: Jairam Ramesh

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, June 25, 2023: Launching a scathing attack on Bharatiya Janata Party for discontinuing Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic)) for states, Congress on Sunday said that it is the ’Durbhagya’ (bad luck) of people of Karnataka that the Modi government is sabotaging Anna Bhagya 2.0.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh issued a statement on Sunday and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is punishing the poor of the state for voting to secure their future.

"From January 1, 2023 till May 24, 2023, the BJP-led state government in Karnataka alone lifted more than 95 pc of the rice procured by all State governments under the Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) OMSS (D) at a rate of ₹3,400 per quintal, presumably with Modi-ji’s "Aashirwaad". Once, the Congress government was formed in Karnataka, as threatened by BJP President JP Nadda, this "Aashirwaad" has been withdrawn at break-neck speed," Ramesh said.

He said that the order issued by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Food Distribution discontinuing OMSS(D) on June 13 mainly targeted Karnataka which procured more than 95 pc of all rice bought by state governments under the scheme this year.

"Regardless of claims otherwise made by the Modi government, it is now absolutely clear that the order of 13 June 2023, by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Food Distribution discontinuing OMSS(D) for states was targeted at mainly one state, Karnataka, that procured more than 95% of all rice bought by state governments under the scheme this year," he said in his statement.

The Congress leader in his statement mentioned that the Ministry of Food discontinued OMSS (D) for targeting at sabotaging the implementation of the Anna Bhagya 2.0 scheme guaranteed by the Congress to the people of Karnataka. He said, "Actually, the Food Corporation of India(FCI) had issued orders for the sale of rice under OMSS (D) on 12th June 2023, based on the requests of the Congress-led state government in Karnataka made on 6th June 2023 and 9th June 2023. Yet a day later, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Food Distribution discontinued the OMSS(D) for states".

"Clearly, this was targeted at sabotaging the implementation of the Anna Bhagya 2.0 scheme guaranteed by the Congress to the people of Karnataka. Immediately, on 14th June, 2023, the GM Karnataka of the FCI, withdrew the earlier order of sale of rice on 12th June, 2023," he added.

"Not only that, the Chairman and Managing Director of Food Corporation of India(FCI) in a press conference on 23rd June 2023 said that conditions will be placed such that private traders cannot sell to another state. Isn’t this a clear case of sabotage?" the Congress leader further said.

Jairam Ramesh also noted that with this brazen move, the Modi government has affected the basic entitlement of 5 kgs that is being given to an additional 39 lakh BPL beneficiaries by the Karnataka state government."This brazen move of the Modi government not only targets the additional 5 kgs free rice guaranteed by the Congress government in Karnataka(bringing it to a total of 10 kgs free rice), it also affects the basic entitlement of 5 kgs that is being given to an additional 39 lakh BPL beneficiaries by the Karnataka state government beyond what is already allocated by the Union government under the National Food Security Act," he said."The fact is that the FCI has more than enough stocks to meet Karnataka’s and the country’s needs but the Modi government is trying its very best to close every single avenue for the Karnataka government to fulfil its Guarantee to the people of Karnataka," he added.

Hitting out at the BJP government, the Congress leader said that if there is a depletion of rice stocks then why the allocation and lifting of rice from the FCI’s central pool stock for ethanol production and blending of petrol continues at the rate of ₹2,000 per quintal."If there is a depletion of rice stocks as claimed by the Modi Government, why is it that the allocation and lifting of rice from the FCI’s central pool stock for ethanol production and blending of petrol continues at the rate of ₹2,000 per quintal?" he said."Why is it that 1.5L MT of rice is allocated for the production of ethanol this year if stocks have depleted? Is ethanol production more important than the food security of the people of Karnataka?" he added.

Jairam Ramesh said that this is not the first time when PM Modi has opposed the schemes of the Congress."This is not the first time that the PM has opposed the schemes of the Congress that benefit the poor. On Aug 13th, 2013, then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh opposing the Food Security Bill. It is the same National Food Security Act implemented by the Congress party that came to the rescue of the country’s poor at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic distress," he said in his statement.

"Under the renamed package of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana, 80 crore people got free food grains and pulses. This would not have been possible without the architecture of the National Food Security Act and the Public Distribution System implemented by the Congress-led UPA government," he added.The Congress leader said, "Why is it that the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana is not a ’revdi’, whereas the Congress Guarantee of 10 kgs free rice through the Anna Bhagya 2.0 scheme is vilified and sabotaged?""It is nothing but Karnataka’s Durbhagya that Prime Minister Modi is punishing the poor of the state for voting to secure their future. But the Congress government in Karnataka will do everything possible to ensure the rights of the people of Karnataka are protected, and the Guarantee of Anna Bhagya 2.0 with 10 kgs free rice is implemented at the earliest, come what may," he added in his statement.