'22 lakh BPL families may not get DBT benefit immediately under Anna Bhagya scheme'

As Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is set to launch Direct Benefit Transfer under the Anna Bhagya scheme on Monday, about 22 lakh families living Below Poverty Line (BPL) may not get the assistance immediately as they do not have bank accounts.

Karnataka has 1.28 crore ration card of Antyodaya Anna Yojana and Priority Households and 99 per cent of these cards are seeded with Aadhaar numbers.

Among them, 82 per cent comprising 1.06 crore of these cards are linked with active bank accounts. The cash will be transfered to those card holders. The remaining card holders will be intimated to open new accounts,” an official statement said on Sunday.

A total of 1.27 crore ration cards have one member designated as Head of the Households (HoH). ”Cash will be transferred to the bank accounts of these HoH. Of them 94 per cent are women and five per cent are men,” it said.

The Congress had promised to give 10 kg rice to each BPL family member in the state under the Anna Bhagya scheme if voted to power in Assembly elections. According to Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa the entire money would be transferred into the account of the beneficiaries in a fortnight.

There are 4.41 crore beneficiaries in the state under the scheme. Of the 10 kg rice, five kg is the Central share, which the beneficiaries have been getting. The Congress had decided to give additional five kg.

However, in absence of adequate supply of rice, the state government decided to give cash in place of five kg additional rice at Rs 34 per kg to each beneficiary.