Congress goes on offensive on BJP after FCI saw fewer bids for its rice

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

BJP for what it called «anti poor DNA» over Karnataka's difficulties in sourcing rice needed for its ambitious Anna Bhagya programme. The Congress had promised 10 kg of rice ahead of elections, but was unable to get the 5 kgs of extra rice per BPL cardholder it needed. The AICC said there were not many takers for the rice FCI offered in a public auction (domestic).

Out of the 3,86,000 tonnes the FCI was offering, bids came for 170 tonnes in the July 5 auction, AICC general secretary RS Surjewala said. “Even ‘traders’ have refused to buy the FCI Rice being offered by the Modi government,” he said in a tweet. The FCI has scheduled the next round of auction on July 12.

Calling it “vindictiveness,” Surjewala said the Modi government is taking revenge on the backward classes and the poor who had voted the BJP regime in the state out of power. Karnataka had assembly polls on May 10, which the Congress won by a huge majority of 135 out of 224 seats. The Anna Bhagya scheme was one of the five tall poll promises that vaulted the party into power.

The scheme — where low-income families would have received 5 kg additional rice from the state along with 5 kg from the Centre every month — began on Monday. As the state has been unable to procure its share of the rice, beneficiaries across Karnataka are to receive money directly into their accounts within the next 15 days. Every below-poverty-line (BPL) person’s account will be credited with Rs 170 per month, going by the Food Corporation of India’s standard rate of Rs 34 per kg of rice.