Kalia scheme benefits more than 30 lakh Odisha farmers

As many as 30,40,038 small, marginal, landless farmers and sharecroppers have benefited from Odisha government's flagship Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (Kalia) scheme, officials said on Friday. Small, marginal and landless farmers were given Rs 5,000 through their bank accounts. The state government has distributed about Rs 1,300 crore among the 30,40,038 farmers under the Kalia scheme, they said.

The beneficiary farmers will be provided Rs 10,000 each per annum for two crops (Rs 5,000 for Kharif and Rs 5,000 for rabi crop), officials said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday distributed the second phase of financial assistance to over 14 lakh small and marginal beneficiaries at farmers meeting in Bargarh district. The state government had earlier disbursed money to 12.45 lakh farmers in the first phase while another three lakh landless farmers were provided financial assistance at farmers meeting in Kendrapara on February 15.

Tribal dominated Mayurbhanj district has registered the highest Kalia beneficiaries with money being sent to bank accounts of 2,27,070 farmers. Deogarh district recorded the lowest number of beneficiaries at 36,468 farmers followed by Jharsuguda with 36,479 farmers benefiting from Kalia scheme. Mayurbhanj was followed by 1.9 lakh farmers in Ganjam, 1.82 lakh in Balasore, 1.73 lakh in Kalahandi, 1.62 lakh in Keonjhar, 1.6 lakh in Balangir and 1.47 lakh in Bargarh district.

Sundargarh has 1.31 lakh beneficiaries, Puri 1.17 lakh, Cuttack 1.13 lakh, Koraput 1.09 lakh and Nabarangpur 1.02 lakh. In western Odisha, Sambalpur has 72,530 beneficiaries, Sonepur 63,372 and Nuapada 67,882.

(With inputs from agencies.)