Suryakant Jena

Bhubaneswar: The Centre has slammed the Odisha government for not providing complete list of farmers to be included in the PM-KISAN scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today.

Union Minister of Agriculture for State Gajendra Singh Shekhawat today criticised the Odisha government and urged it to release the list of all farmers for inclusion into the newly-inaugurated PM-KISAN scheme.

Addressing media in Bhubaneswar on the sidelines of the launch of the PM-KISAN scheme by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through video conferencing from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Shekhawat said, “Odisha government has been saying that apart from 5 to 6 lakh landless farmers, there are at least 50 lakh farmers in the State who deserve benefits but it has sent an incomplete list to the Centre to favour its own KALIA scheme."

“Apart from 5 to 6 lakh landless farmers, the State government should disclose names of those 40 to 45 lakh farmers in the State and send it to the Centre so that they can get the much-needed financial assistance,” said Shekhawat.

Criticizing the State government, the union minister said, “You might have different political view but you have no right to treat the farmers unfairly. If the Centre wants to reach out to each and every farmer of the State, the government has a responsibility to rise above politics for the welfare of the farmers.”

Responding to Shekhawat’s statements, State Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera said, “Odisha government supports Centre’s PM-KISAN scheme but instead of Rs 6000, the government should make provision for financial assistance of Rs 10,000.”

Earlier in the day, launching the scheme from Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur, Prime Minister Modi said the first installment of money under the scheme has been deposited in accounts of 1.01 crore farmers.

During the occasion, the PM alleged that while 21 states and all union territories have implemented the scheme, other states have been reluctant to work for the welfare of the farmers.

The Scheme was introduced to augment the income of small and marginal farmers and is estimated to benefit over 12 crore farmers.

On the other hand, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also launched the second phase of KALIA scheme today and released Rs 5000 to each 1.79 lakh farmers of the State.

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