Amid Row Over Karnataka Rice Scheme, CM Siddaramaiah Reaches Delhi For 'Courtesy Call'

Siddaramaiah said that Karnataka’s food and civil supplies minister KH Muniyappa, who is also in Delhi, will meet Union food minister Piyush Goyal and request the supply of rice under the 'Anna Bhagya' scheme.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 21 June 2023 10:58 am

Siddaramaiah leaves for Delhi

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday to meet President Droupadi Murmu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other ministers in what he termed as a “courtesy call”. The meeting, however, comes amid a row over the implementation of the ‘Anna Bagya’ rice scheme in the state just a month after coming to power.

"I'm meeting the President, Union Home Minister Amit Shah tomorrow... After becoming Chief Minister, I had not met (them), so I'm meeting. It is only a courtesy call," Siddaramaiah said, speaking to reporters in Bengaluru. According to the CM’s tour programme, he will be meeting the Union ministers post-noon.

He said that Karnataka’s food and civil supplies minister KH Muniyappa, who is also in Delhi, will meet Union food minister Piyush Goyal and request the supply of rice under the 'Anna Bhagya' scheme. The scheme announced as a poll promise, offers to provide 10 kg of rice (including an additional 5 kg) for BPL (below poverty line) families in the state.

Siddaramaiah has earlier accused the BJP government at the Centre of conspiring to "fail" the Congress administration's poll guarantees, like ensuring that the state doesn't get the required amount of rice for rolling out the scheme from July 1, as promised.

Siddaramaiah and his ministers have alleged that the Centre discontinued the sale of wheat and rice under OMSS(D) for state governments, a day after the FCI – which has a large number of stocks – agreed to provide 2,08,425.750 metric tonnes of rice to Karnataka, at a rate of Rs 34 per kg on June 12.

The BJP hit back at the Congress’ allegations, accusing Siddaramaiah and others of blatantly lying to hide their own incompetence and desperately trying to blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government at the Centre.

According to Congress sources, the meeting of Siddaramaiah and his entire council of ministers with the party leadership including AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi among others in Delhi that was scheduled for Wednesday has been postponed.