BANGALORE: Come October, the below poverty line (BPL) beneficiaries will have the option of getting ragi, jowar or wheat instead of rice under the Annabhagya scheme.
Expanding the scope of Congress’s flagship scheme, the cabinet on Friday approved to give ragi, jowar or wheat. Under the scheme, implemented on July 10, a BPL beneficiary will get 30 kg of rice at rupee one per kg. As here has been demand from people of north Karnataka that their main diet is jowar and people from southern Karnataka asking for ragi, the cabinet has agreed to give the same from October.
“This scheme will also benefit the state farmers as ragi and jowar will be procured from them. We have enough stock of wheat,” law minister T B Jayachandra said. The government will also give boiled rice to the BPL families living in coastal belt.
A beneficiary eligible for 10kg rice will have the option of buying 4 kg rice, 4 kg ragi/jowar and 2 kg wheat. Under 20 kg rice scheme, a beneficiary can buy 11 kg rice, 6 kg ragi/jowar and 3 kg wheat. Under 30 kg rice category, an individual will get 17 kg rice, 5 kg wheat and 8 kg ragi/jowar. “A beneficiary is free to choose full amount of ragi, jower or wheat under his quota,” Jayachandra said.
