K'taka to distribute grains at Re 1 per kg from October 2

The Karnataka government will distribute ragi, jowar and wheat at Rs 1 per kg to the families living below the poverty line (BPL) across the state from October 2 under its flagship 'Anna Bhagya' scheme, chief minister Siddaramaiah said here on Monday.

"We have already launched a scheme to distribute 30 kg rice at Rs 1 per kg from July 10. If any family wants wheat, jowar or ragi, they can buy them at Rs 1 per kg from October 2," he said.

Explaining the achievements of the Congress government during the first 100 days after winning the May 5 Assembly polls, he said, the subsidised scheme would cost the state exchequer Rs 4,200 crore per annum. The BPL families have been saving about Rs 800 per month after the launch of the Anna Bhagya scheme, he said.

As promised in the ruling party's election manifesto, the subsidised scheme for distributing 30 kg rice per month at Rs 1 per kg to 9.8 million BPL families was the first major decision taken by the chief minister, just hours after he took oath on May 13.

"Doubling of the milk subsidy to Rs 4 per litre to the 750,000 producers and distribution of 150 ml of milk three times a week to 10.4 million children in schools and anganwadis across the state under the 'Ksheera Bhagya' scheme from August 1, had also made a good impact on the people as it will address the malnutrition problem," he said.

The milk subsidy will cost the state government Rs 818 crore and the milk scheme to children Rs 384 crore per annum."The intention of the government in implementing these schemes is to make Karnataka hunger-free and malnutrition-free in the next five years," Siddaramaiah asserted.

Similarly, the state government will provide small and marginal farmers interest-free loans up to Rs 200,000 and at 1 per cent interest per annum for Rs 2-3 lakh loans. Big farmers can get loans of Rs 3-10 lakh at 3 per cent interest per annum.

The government has set up an agriculture price commission with Rs 1,000 crore revolving support price fund for market intervention to ensure that farmers do not suffer losses if prices for their crops fall below the production cost, Siddaramaiah pointed out.

Under the 'Runa Mukta Bhagya' (debt free scheme), the state government has waived loans of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SCs & STs) amounting to Rs 349 crore and Rs 66.89 crore respectively benefitting 187,000 people from the SCs and 40,072 from STs, he said.

"We have also waived loans worth Rs 876 crore of backward classes and minorities under the (debt free) scheme which has benefitted 498,000 backward class people and 300,000 people of the minorities," Siddaramaiah noted.

Arrears of power bills amounting up to Rs 268 crore were also waived, benefitting 2 million poor people under the Bhagyajyothi scheme, he added.