45965 Ineligible Beneficiaries Received KALIA Money: Odisha Agri Minister

Bhubaneswar: In September, Odisha government had claimed that only 32000 of the total 51.05 lakh beneficiaries who received monetary assistance under the KALIA (Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation) scheme are ineligible. However, State Agriculture Minister Arun Sahoo today informed that Rs 2552.64 crore was disbursed to 51,05,290 farmers under KALIA scheme out of which the ineligible beneficiaries count stood at 45,965.

In his written reply to a question by Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati in the State Assembly, the minister informed that in the first instalment, 51,05,290 beneficiaries (36,34,710 small & marginal farmers and 14,70,580 landless) were enrolled in the KALIA scheme, the block-wise and district-wise list is available in KALIA web portal (kalia.co.in). The Rs 5000 cash assistance was deposited in their accounts between January 2019 and May 2019.

As per government reports, 45,965 persons have been identified so far as ineligible and the cash benefits extended by government from the State exchequer funds to these bogus beneficiaries, amounts to Rs 22,98,25,000 (22.98 cr). Steps are being taken to recover the money from them, said Sahoo.

Also, district-wise and block-wise list of actual beneficiaries is being prepared and once it is done, the final list will be published online, added the Minister.