Karnataka govt to provide additional 5 kgs of rice under Anna Bhagya scheme from Feb
Bengaluru, Feb 19 (PTI): The Karnataka government will begin providing an additional five kilograms of rice from February under the pre-poll Anna Bhagya guarantee, State Minister K H Muniyappa said on Wednesday.
The Congress government had promised to provide 10 kgs of rice every month to each member of families falling below the poverty line (BPL). This includes 5 kgs of rice supplied by the Centre under the National Food Security Act, 2013.
However, due to an inadequate supply of food grains, the state government had been transferring Rs 170 to beneficiaries' bank accounts in place of the additional rice, a practice that continued until January, according to the minister.
The Congress government had accused the Centre of attempting to sabotage the Anna Bhagya scheme by withholding rice, despite sufficient stocks being available in Food Corporation of India (FCI) warehouses.
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"From February, we will provide 5 kgs of rice per beneficiary every month instead of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)," Muniyappa told reporters.
The minister stated that the state government would require 2.1 lakh tonne of rice each month, costing Rs 536.71 crore.
"We will procure rice from the FCI at Rs 22.5 per kg. We have discussed this with Union Food and Civil Supplies Minister Pralhad Joshi," Muniyappa said.
He added that Joshi had assured him that the Centre would supply rice consistently for the next two years.
According to Muniyappa, the Centre procures rice from various states at Rs 40 per kg, which includes transportation costs.
With the Centre agreeing to provide rice at Rs 22.5 per kg, the state government will save Rs 150 crore to Rs 190 crore, he said.
Anna Bhagya scheme was one of the five key poll promises made by the Congress ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections in May 2023.
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Israel again intercepts Gaza-bound ship carrying activists, humanitarian aid
Tel Aviv, Jul 27 (AP): The Israeli military has intercepted a Gaza-bound aid ship seeking to break the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory, detaining 21 international activists and journalists and seizing all cargo, including baby formula, food and medicine, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said Sunday.
The coalition that operates the vessel Handala said the Israeli military “violently intercepted” the ship in international waters about 40 nautical miles from Gaza, cutting the cameras and communication, just before midnight Saturday.
“All cargo was non-military, civilian and intended for direct distribution to a population facing deliberate starvation and medical collapse under Israel's illegal blockade," the group said in a statement.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment. Israel's Foreign Ministry posted on X early Sunday that the Navy stopped the vessel and was bringing it to shore.
It was the second ship operated by the coalition that Israel has prevented in recent months from delivering aid to Gaza, where food experts have for months warned of the risk of famine. Activist Greta Thunberg was among 12 activists on board the ship Madleen when it was seized by the Israeli military in June.
The ship's interception comes as Israel faces mounting international criticism over the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, with concern growing over rising hunger in the territory amid Israeli restrictions on aid.
A regional human rights group, Adalah, said the raid on the vessel violated international law. It demanded the immediate release of the 21 activists, including lawmakers and human rights campaigners, from 10 countries.
“The flotilla never entered Israeli territorial waters, nor was it intended to do so; it was headed toward the territorial waters of the State of Palestine, as recognised under international law," Adalah said in a statement. “Israel has no legal jurisdiction or authority over the international waters in which the vessel was sailing.”
Adalah demanded immediate disclosure of the activists' location and legal status.
Lawmaker Nicola Fratoianni, of a left-wing environmentalist party, called on the Italian government to ensure the safety of the two Italians on board.
Also on board were seven US citizens, including a human rights attorney, a Jewish US war veteran and a Jewish-American activist, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
