Bhubaneswar: Odisha government Tuesday decided to include another 10 lakh farmers in the state under Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (Kalia) scheme.
The decision in this regard was taken at the Cabinet Meeting chaired by chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
"As the chief minister has announced that no eligible beneficiary under Kalia scheme will be left out, the Cabinet today approved that an additional 10 lakh small farmers/ marginal farmers/ actual cultivators (share croppers)/ landless agricultural households be included in the Kalia scheme during 2018-19," chief secretary A P Padhi said. Padhi said: "No one who is eligible will be left out."
Replying a question, Padhi said now the number of Kalia beneficiaries is likely touch 45 lakh from an initial estimation of about 35 lakh farmers.
The state government had launched the KALIA scheme last month to provide financial assistance to the farmers. Accordingly, the state has meanwhile released first phase of assistance to 30.40 lakh of farmers.
The state government also decided that support to cultivators for cultivation will be provided under Kalia scheme to purchase agricultural inputs may be done prior to beginning of the season which is during the first quarter of the financial year at any time after April 1 onwards for Kharif crop and at any time after September 1 of the year for the Rabi crop, Padhi said.
Opposition BJP has, however, raised question on the number of Kalia beneficiaries and demanded the list of the people who have so far received the financial assistance of Rs 5,000 under the scheme.
BJP said that provision of financial assistance after April 1 is being done keeping eye on the ensuing elections, party spokesman Pitamber Acharya said.
"From where Odisha government got data about 36 lakh small and marginal farmers in the State?," asked BJP state vice president Samir Mohanty.
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With inputs from PTI
