Dinesh hits out at Nalin Kateel

Mangaluru: Minister of health and family welfare Dinesh Gundu Rao said BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel has been making statements against the interests of Karnataka. The BJP state president should join hands with the state government instead of making statements against the Anna Bhagya scheme, he told reporters here on Friday.
“The Central government has been supplying rice through the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Karnataka did not demand rice for the first time. Rice was procured from the FCI when I was the food and civil supplies because they keep sufficient stock. Instead of wasting the stock of rice, it is better to sell it to Karnataka. There is no difficulty for the Centre to supply rice or wheat to the state. In fact, we are buying the rice by paying the rate fixed by the Central government under the open market scheme. Previous governments in the state also had procured rice from the Centre. Kateel finds more pleasure in troubling the Congress rather than the welfare of people,” he said.
The state government has been doing its best to ensure supply of 10kg rice to people as promised before the election, he said. While the warehouses of the FCI have sufficient stock, the Central government also has been continuing the process of procuring rice under minimum support price scheme, he said. “The intention of the Central government behind the denial of rice to Karnataka is very clear. Chief minister Siddaramaiah and food and civil supplies minister KH Muniyappa will discuss the issue to find a solution,” he added.
On Indira Canteens, the minister said the government will make efforts to develop infrastructure and ensure quality of food in all outlets. “All issues related to infrastructure in Indira Canteens will be solved,” he added.
‘Will write to Kerala’
On the Kerala government appointing Malayalam speaking teachers in Kannada medium schools in border villages, the minister said the Karnataka government will write to the neighbouring state. “I will bring the issue to the notice of the government to hold a discussion with officials in Kerala,” he said, adding that he will follow-up the letter written by Kannada and culture minister Shivaraj Tangadagi to the government of Kerala.