No cut in quantity of rice being distributed under Anna Bhagya scheme: Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan
Bengaluru, July 17: Food and Civil Supplies Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan said that there would not be any reduction in the quantity of rice being distributed to the BPL card holders under Anna Bhagya scheme next month.
Speaking to reporters at the Vikasa Soudha here on Tuesday, he said that in the Budget, the Chief Minister had slashed the quantity of rice from 7 kg to 5 kg and promised of giving other items. But during the debate on the Budget, he had said that there would not be any changes in the quantity of rice under the scheme. After the budget, he had met the Chief Minister and urged him not to cut the quantity of rice, but it was left to his discretion to give other items like salt, sugar and Palmolive oil to the beneficiaries. Even he has noticed the confusion among people regarding the quantity of rice. If it was true, the Chief Minister would have called him and discussed it. But so far, the CM has not discussed anything about it, he clarified.
The department has 280 warehouses in the state. Opposition Leader BS Yeddyurappa had alleged that food grains were rottenning in the warehouses in the state. Now, he was getting all the details about the present condition of the warehouses in the state. Once the department Secretary returned from New Delhi, he, along with him would visit the warehouses to know their condition, the minister said.
Ration stolen: officer suspended
The Minister said that total 1165 quintal rice, 196 quintal wheat and 36 quintal tur dal was stolen from the department warehouse at Nanjangud. Following the incident, Mysuru Deputy Director Rameshwarappa was suspended. Apart from him, depot manager Mylari and computer operator Basavaraju were suspended and registered a case, he said.
Christian community leaders have met him today. Christians were in large number in Udupi, Mangaluru, Chikmagalur and Mysuru region. He would personally visit those districts on August 15 and take stock of the situation to solve their problems, he said.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
