CM Naveen Patnaik launches Rs 10,180-crore farmers’ livelihood scheme

BHUBANESWAR: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday launched the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (Kalia) scheme for the benefit of small and marginal farmers and agriculture labourers in the state.
The financial assistance scheme, which is worth Rs 10,180 crore, was announced on December 21. It is expected to benefit 30 lakh farmers.

“This is a progressive and inclusive scheme that will cover both the landholders and the landless, those who have taken loans and those who have not. I have always stood by farmers. My government has taken several initiative for the community and will continue to do so,” Naveen said after launching the scheme.

The scheme envisages the well-being of farmers through five kinds of government intervention — financial support to small and marginal farmers for cultivation, livelihood support for landless households, monetary help for vulnerable agriculture households and landless labourers, life insurance cover and interest-free crop loan.

Around 30 lakh small and marginal farmers will each be given Rs 5,000 as financial support for the rabi and kharif seasons to buy seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and labour. The total annual expense for this will be Rs 3,016 crore. As many as 10 lakh landless households will get Rs 12,500 as assistance per year for alternate livelihood activities such as goat rearing, fisheries, duck rearing, mushroom cultivation and bee-keeping. The assistance will be given over a period of three years till 2021.

Landless agriculture labourers, who have been deprived of livelihood options due to old-age, disability or disease, will get Rs 10,000 per family per year for sustenance. Deserving candidates will be identified by the gram panchayats. The scheme also promises life insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh and additional personal accident cover of Rs 2 lakh to around 57 lakh cultivators and landless agricultural labourers. Similarly, crop loans of up to Rs 50,000 will henceforth be free of interest.

The BJP criticised the scheme and said it was a waste of public money and would only further the votebank politics of BJD. “If the state government was serious about farmers’ welfare, it would have made provisions in the budget or the supplementary budget for the scheme. Implementing it in a hurry proves that BJD is doing it for votes,” said Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan.