Karnataka Assembly elections 2023: Congress offers 10-kg free rice to each person in BPL family

A representational photo of rice being distributed in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K

Karnataka Congress announced its third ‘guarantee’ ahead of Assembly elections, promising each BPL family member 10 kg of free rice per month under Anna Bhagya scheme.

KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar announced that this had been a big demand of people during the party’s ongoing Praja Dhwani Yatre. People, he said, were angry with the BJP government for bringing down the quantum of free rice to 5 kg from the 7 kg that was being given when the Congress was running the government. 

The party has earlier assured to provide ₹ 2,000 every month to a woman of each household and 200 units of free power to all the houses in the State if the party comes to power. Congress has launched a drive to deliver “guarantee cards” to households about their electoral promises. Mr. Shivakumar said this was necessary in a context where people have lost faith in the promises of political parties.

“In the context of price rice, food is a basic need that needs to be provided free to people,” said Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. “We want to make categorial promises that we will keep,” said Mr. Siddaramaiah, who had announced Anna Bhagya scheme as the first announcement after he took over as Chief Minister in 2013.

Mr. Shivakumar said that Congress believes in strengthening livelihoods through such initiatives and not “playing politics with people’s emotions”, hitting out obliquely at the Budget promise of building a Rama temple in Ramanagaram. “Temples and mosques can be built by trusts and people. It is not a task to be undertaken by governments,” he said.