Deve Gowda, Kharge elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Karnataka

Bengaluru, Feb 4: Congress MLA UT Khader on Tuesday alleged that B.S. Yediyurappa-led government has stopped providing free food to poor families under 'Anna Bhagya' scheme from last two months which was started by the Congress in the state.

"Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had started a scheme 'Anna Bhagya' under which free rice and wheat to 494 education institutions, NGOs, and old age homes were provided and the present government has stopped providing benefits to the poor people," said the MLA.

Alleging that the present government has stopped with the scheme Khadar said, "From last two months the government has stopped providing free food to the institutes and NGOs."

Khadar further demanded to restart the scheme to help the poor students.

"They should restart the scheme which supports poor students and old age houses, or congress will protest if the scheme is not restarted."

Last year in August, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa had said that his government has no plans to stop any "pro-people schemes" including Anna Bhagya.

"Our government has no plans to scrap any of the pro-people schemes. Our Government is a pro-people Government. I have already signed the file to release grants to continue the "Anna Bhagya scheme" the twitter handle of Karnataka Chief Minister's Office had quoted him as saying.

Bengaluru, Jun 5: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Thursday said government employees and owners of tractors and other vehicles must return the BPL ration cards immediately, failing which stringent legal action would be initiated against them.

The CM issued directions in this regard to officials as he conducted a review meeting of the Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department today. Proper supply of ration must be ensured to eligible beneficiaries and action has to be taken to prevent misuse of the facility by those not eligible, Yediyurappa was quoted as saying by his office in a release.

Nearly 63,000 ration cards were cancelled before the COVID-19 outbreak, he noted and directed officials to initiate a campaign to cancel all illegal ration cards. "this campaign would help in curtailing the financial burden on the State's reserves," he added.

In the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic, both the Central and State governments have distributed sufficient quantities of ration, and about 95 percent ration cardholders have availed the benefit, the release said. Under the Chief Ministers Anila Bhagya Scheme, 98,079 beneficiaries have been given 3 gas cylinders free of cost, it said.

Bengaluru, Apr 8: In a strong show of support, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa stood behind the minorities in the state and said no one should target the Muslim community over the coronavirus crisis and the Tablighi Jamaat.

He said those communalising the issue will be dealt with strictly.

BS Yediyurappa was speaking to a regional media channel when he said "Nobody should speak a word against Muslims. This is a warning. If anyone blames the entire Muslim community for some isolated incident, I'll take action against them also without a second thought. Will not allow that to happen."

Since then, many have welcomed the CM's remarks including the opposition.

Former Karnataka Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao tweeted and said that other BJP leaders should follow the Karnataka CM and that it's a welcome step.

Congress president DK Shivakumar too said he agrees with the chief minister and that no one should target one community. "The CM should also act strictly against people posting communal remarks on social media and issue an order."

Earlier, Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa held a meeting with minority opposition MLAs and MLCs and urged them to pass the message within the community asking those who had attended the Delhi Nizamuddin Markaz event to come and get tested for Covid-19.