Fri Jul 04 17:22:05 UTC 2025: **Here’s a summary of the text:**

The article discusses food distribution and procurement in Karnataka, India, during the 2024-25 financial year. Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the state distributed 24.85 lakh tonnes of rice free to ration card holders, a slight increase from the previous year. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) played a key role in this distribution, along with supplying food grains for the PM Nutrition Scheme and the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). The Central government intervened in the open market to stabilize food prices by releasing rice and wheat through the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS). However, concerns were raised at a State Level Consultative Committee (SLCC) meeting about Karnataka’s failure to meet procurement targets for ragi, paddy, and jowar under Minimum Support Price (MSP) provisions.

**Here’s a news article based on the text:**

**Karnataka Distributes Over 2.4 Million Tonnes of Free Rice Under NFSA**

**Bengaluru, July 4, 2025** – Karnataka distributed approximately 2.485 million tonnes of rice free of cost to ration card holders under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) during the 2024-25 financial year, according to data presented at a State Level Consultative Committee (SLCC) meeting held on Friday. This represents a marginal increase from the 2.480 million tonnes distributed the previous year.

The meeting, chaired by Rajya Sabha MP Iranna Kadadi, highlighted the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) role in facilitating the distribution. Each NFSA beneficiary received 5 kg of food grain per person per day. The Central government also intervened in the open market to control rising food prices, releasing 460,959 tonnes of rice and 105,065 tonnes of wheat through the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS).

Beyond the NFSA, Karnataka distributed 106,895 tonnes of food grains through the PM Nutrition Scheme, supporting mid-day meals in schools. Since February 2025, the state government has purchased approximately 242,000 tonnes of rice per month from FCI to bolster its own food security programs, including the supply of 7,811 tonnes of rice under OMSS for student meals in higher classes.

Furthermore, 114,710 tonnes of food grains were allocated to the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), targeting children and mothers. Special allocations were also directed to aspirational districts Yadgir and Raichur, with 32 tonnes of rice and 472 tonnes of wheat allocated to support nutrition programs for adolescent girls.

However, Mr. Kadadi expressed concerns about Karnataka’s failure to meet procurement targets for essential grains like ragi, paddy, and jowar under Minimum Support Price (MSP) provisions, raising questions about the effectiveness of the state’s procurement strategy.

Read More