Odisha government deposits Rs 693.94 crore KALIA aid in 34 lakh farmer accounts

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Thursday deposited Rs 693.94 crore in the bank accounts of over 34 lakh farmers under the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme for rabi crop season.

The financial assistance was provided to farmers of all the districts except Puri as the by-election to Pipili Assembly constituency is scheduled on April 17. With Thursday's payment, the State government has so far provided financial assistance of Rs 7,384.8 crore since the scheme was launched.

The government had informed the Assembly on Wednesday that Rs 6,690.86 crore has been provided to over 51 lakh farmers in the last three years. The government provided assistance of Rs 2,175.66 crore in 2018-19 and Rs 3,243.01 crore in 2019-20 to 51.05 lakh small, marginal and landless farmers under the scheme.

An amount of Rs 1,272.19 crore has been released in favour of 53.55 lakh farmers for 2020-21 by end of February 2021. Official sources said that Thursday’s payment is the first phase financial assistance provided to the farmers.

"The new financial year starts from today. After paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and Utkalmani Gopabandhu, I am starting the new financial year with the welfare measure for farmers," the Chief Minister said while launching deposit programme for the farmers on the occasion of the Utkal Divas.

It is heartening to note that KALIA is having an impact on the lives of 37 lakh farmers in the State as well as 17 lakh landless poor, Naveen said and added that KALIA is the only scheme in the entire country which also helps landless poor along with farmers. 

The Chief Minister demanded that the minimum support price (MSP) on paddy should be hiked to one and half time of the production cost and said that the government's fight for the implementation of the recommendation of the MS Swaminathan Committee will continue. "The MSP hike is not anyone’s charity, but is a right of the farmers. We are with the farmers always," he said.

Stating that Odisha has now become food bowl of the country, the Chief Minister said that a number of measures taken by the State government including the zero interest rate loan to the farmers have encouraged them.

He said that farmers, who are the backbone of the State's economy, have saved Odisha during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Odisha cannot think of development by ignoring the farmers," he said.

FUNDS PROVIDED

• 51.05 small, marginal and landless farmers covered under the scheme in last 3 years

• Rs 2,175 cr released in 2018-19

• Rs 3,243 cr given in 2019-20

• Rs 1,272 cr released in favour of 53.55 lakh farmers for 2020-21 by end of February 2021