570 people held in Karnataka for illegal hoarding, sale of 'Anna Bhagya' rice: Minister
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Minister K H Muniyappa on Monday informed the Legislative Council that 570 people across the state have been arrested for the illegal hoarding and sale of rice intended for the 'Anna Bhagya' scheme.
The Minister, who holds the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology portfolio, was replying to a starred question by MLC C T Ravi at the ongoing session in Suvarna Soudha here.
Ravi alleged that the Anna Bhagya rice is being smuggled to Singapore and Dubai, where it is being sold at a higher price.
According to the BJP MLC, the 10 kg rice, which is distributed in Karnataka free of cost to individuals belonging to the Below Poverty Line, is sold for prices ranging between Rs 1,500 to Rs 8,000.
The rice for the BPL families is polished in the rice mills and sold in foreign countries.
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Responding to the charge, the Minister said 29,603.15 quintals of illegally traded rice has been seized and 314 vehicles used in the operations have been confiscated.
In Yadgir district, officers from other departments who had been serving in the Food Department have been relieved of their duty, while the KFCSC warehouse in Gangavati taluk of Koppal district has been suspended.
He said officers and field staff have been instructed to conduct regular supervision to curb illegal storage and sale of ration rice, adding that criminal cases are being registered under the “Essential Commodities Act, 1955.”
The Minister warned that if ration cardholders are found misusing ration rice, their ration cards will be cancelled and action will follow as per rules.
He said, “Vigilance committees have been formed at the fair-price shop, taluk, district and State levels to oversee ration distribution.”
Muniyappa added that monthly ‘Food Adalats’ are being held at the fair-price shop level to create awareness among beneficiaries, and that a State-level ‘Food Vigilance Squad’ has been constituted to act against violations as per norms.
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Beer sales decline in Karnataka due to rains, cold weather: Minister Timmapura
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Excise Minister R B Timmapura on Monday said beer sales in the state have witnessed a significant decline. A total of 195.27 lakh boxes of beer have been sold in the state till September 2025, which is 47.46 lakh boxes less than the same period last year, marking a 19.55 per cent negative growth.
He attributed the slump in sales to heavy rainfall and cold weather in the state this year.
The Minister mentioned this in a written reply to the matter raised by opposition chief whip N Ravikumar and MLC K S Naveen under Rule 330 of the Legislative Council. They raised concerns about high number of alcohol consumers in the state suffering from liver cirrhosis/jaundice and proposed that at least 20 per cent of the Excise Department's revenue be allocated for their better treatment.
The revenue generated by the Excise Department is deposited in the state's consolidated fund and spent on the programmes approved in the budget, Timmapur said.
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There is no specific system in place to earmark the funds for any purpose.
According to Timmapura, the state government is already providing comprehensive health check-ups and treatment through central and state schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and the National Health Mission, through Public Health centers and super speciality hospitals.
Necessary funds are being allocated in the budget based on the demand of the Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education Departments.
Several members called for action against the sale of substandard liquor and the prohibition of new liquor outlets in the state. Action should be taken to control it, and a gastroenterologist should be appointed in every district.
Leader of the House and Minister of Science and Technology Boseraju affirmed the government's stance, saying it is not encouraging the consumption of alcohol, and actively running awareness campaigns against the harms of alcohol, urging the public to voluntarily control alcohol consumption.
