Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has allocated an amount of Rupees 3,234 crore more for inclusion of more farmers under the KALIA scheme in the financial year 2019-20. The notification issued by the Agriculture department says that in conforming the Odisha Cabinet’s May 29 decision, 32.34 lakh additional beneficiaries will be added to the existing 45 lakh beneficiaries.
The notification reads “It has been now been decided that a further additional 32.34 lakh small farmers/marginal farmers/actual cultivators (share croppers)/ landless agricultural households will be included in the KALIA scheme during 2019-20, apart from the farm families already assisted in 2018-19, so that no one who is eligible will be left out,”.
The State Government, under the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) Yojana, incentivises farmers by giving Rs 5,000 financial assistance per crop. Benificiaries are entitled to get Rs 10,000 per year for two crops (Kharif and Rabi). Of the 75 lakh benificiaries, 50 lakh will be small and marginal farmers and sharecroppers and the remaining 25 lakh will be landless agricultural households. The state government requires an estimated Rs 3,234 crore excluding the administrative cost in the financial year 2019-20 for 32.34 lakh farmers/landless agricultural households.