New Delhi: The Karnataka government on Monday, July 10, launched direct benefit transfer (DBT) for the beneficiaries of the Anna Bhagya Scheme.Instead of rice, each beneficiary will now get Rs 170 per head per month, in an alternative arrangement by the Siddaramaiah government given that the Union government suspended the sale of rice and wheat to state governments in the open markets earlier this year.The Congress, in its election manifesto, promised five kgs of rice to every beneficiary per month from its end in addition to another five kg that they receive from the Centre. Consequently, every beneficiary was expected to receive 10 kilos of rice per month.With the Centre suspending the sale of rice in the open market, the Siddaramaiah government has not been able to fulfil its promise of five kg of rice. In lieu of rice, it has now decided to credit Rs 170 per person per month, at Rs 34 per kg of rice. The idea is that it will enable beneficiaries to buy rice from the open market on their own.Siddaramaih hit out at the Centre for its “anti-poor” policies and accused it of denying rice to the people of Karnataka. “We did not ask rice for free. We would have paid Rs 34 per kg,” he said, according to Deccan Herald.He also said while refusing to give additional rice to Karnataka, the Centre started auctioning the same through e-auction, which he said nobody was buying. “As per media reports, no one is coming forward to buy rice. Is this not dirty politics?” he sought to know.The chief minister also sought to underline that it was Congress’s Manmohan Singh government which brought the National Food Security Act, with an aim to provide subsidised food grains to approximately two-thirds of the country’s population.According to the Karnataka government, there are 128 million ration cardholders in the state, who are eligible for cash transfers. About 99% of cards are linked with Aadhar Cards, and 82% (106 million) of them are connected to active bank accounts. A press statement from the chief minister’s office said cash transfers will begin for these cardholders, Indian Express reported.In the case of cardholders who do not have bank accounts, directions have been issued to the authorities concerned to facilitate the process of opening accounts. Among those linked to active accounts, 94% are with women (designated as the head of household) and the remaining 5% are with men.According to Hindustan Times, Karnataka minister K.H. Muniyappa said the amount would be credited into beneficiaries’ accounts in 15 days.Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also hit out at the Centre for putting “unreasonable restrictions” placed on the sale of rice under the Open Market Sale Scheme(OMSS).“Surplus food stock should indeed be used in the larger interest of 140 crore people. But between January and May 2023, it was Karnataka alone that accounted for over 95% of FCI [Food Corporation of India] sales to states. This was when the BJP government was in power in the state. On May 13 election results are out. The BJP loses badly. A Congress government comes in. The FCI stops providing rice to states through OMSS on June 13, 2023. It rescinded its own sale order of June 12 with the sole intention of sabotaging the Congress’ Anna Bhagya which is unique to Karnataka,” he tweeted.The Modi government tries to be clever but ends up becoming too clever by half. The unreasonable restrictions placedon sale of rice under the Open Market Sale Scheme(OMSS) at Rs. 34/ kg has misfired badly with the extremely low offtake of rice.Surplus food stock should…— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 11, 2023