New Delhi (Agency): The Congress party has vehemently criticized the restrictions imposed by the Central Government on rice sales under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS), terming them as “unreasonable” and stating that they have “misfired” egregiously. The party also expressed its disapproval towards the Centre’s decision to halt the sale of foodgrains from its stockpile to state governments, labeling it as a political move intended to undermine the Karnataka government’s ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme.
On June 13, the Central Government ceased the sale of rice and wheat from its buffer reserves to the state governments under OMSS, citing inflationary pressure and concerns regarding the monsoon season. However, the Congress alleges that this move was designed to hinder the implementation of the Anna Bhagya scheme in Karnataka.
In a series of tweets, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh suggested that the Modi government’s attempt to be shrewd ended up backfiring. “The unreasonable restrictions placed on sale of rice under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) at Rs. 34/ kg has misfired badly with the extremely low offtake of rice,” he stated.
He further highlighted that surplus food stock should indeed be utilized for the larger benefit of 140 crore citizens, but pointed out that from January to May 2023, it was only Karnataka that accounted for over 95 per cent of FCI sales to states. Ramesh criticized the government’s decision to halt the provision of rice to states through OMSS right after the BJP’s defeat in the May 13 elections and the formation of a Congress government. He attributed this action to an intention to sabotage the Anna Bhagya scheme, unique to Karnataka.
In the meantime, Ramesh called out the ongoing sale of rice for ethanol production at Rs. 20 per kg and admonished the Modi government for its purportedly politically motivated decisions.
The Anna Bhagya scheme, a pre-poll promise by Congress, pledges 10 kg of rice to every Below Poverty Line (BPL) family in Karnataka. On Monday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah initiated the payment of cash as a substitute for the additional 5 kg of rice to beneficiaries under the Anna Bhagya scheme, given the difficulty in procuring large rice quantities for the program.
