Sanjeev Kumar Pradhan

Balasore: While the beneficiaries have alleged that they are unable to receive the enrolment forms for the KALIA scheme, a video of a man selling the forms at Makhanpur panchayat office under Khaira block of Balasore district has gone viral.

“As the forms are not available at the panchayat office, we bought them at Rs 10, Rs 15 and Rs 20,” said a resident of Soro.

The district collector informed that the Khaira BDO has filed an FIR against the person involved and a probe has been initiated. “An FIR has been lodged at the concerned police station and I have personally spoken with the SP over phone to immediately arrest the persons involved,” Balasore Collector Ramesh Chandra Rout said.

Earlier on Monday tension prevailed in different parts of the State owing to irregularities in distribution of enrolment forms for the KALIA scheme. Protests and violence were triggered by the rush among people to get themselves enrolled in the scheme which promises cash benefits to beneficiaries in areas of agriculture and other allied activities.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on January 1 had launched the ‘Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation’ (KALIA) scheme at a cost of Rs 10,000 crore.

In the meantime, Odisha Chief Minister has issued direction to the concerned authorities to extend the deadline for submission of application forms for enrolment in KALIA Scheme till January 15.

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