Odisha Govt Betrayed Farmers By Integrating KALIA With Central Scheme: Opposition

Bhubaneswar: The KALIA scheme, considered as a ‘game changer’ that saw ruling-BJD comfortably sail through 2019 elections, has now become a concern for the Odisha government which is probably passing through a cash-crunch. After the Odisha government decided to integrate its KALIA Scheme with the PM KISAN, Opposition parties have termed the move as an act of betrayal citing that the BJD which came to power on the back of the scheme has now abandoned it.

Following the integration, Odisha government, which had earlier announced to provide a financial assistance of Rs 10,000 annually to farmers in two instalments under the KALIA scheme, will have to provide annual assistance of Rs 4,000 while the rest Rs 6000 will come from PM KISAN.

“It is for the first time in 20 years that Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has withdrawn a scheme in the State and farmers will never accept such betrayal,” said Congress MLA Sura Routray.

Former BJP MLA, Pradip Purohit said, “Farmers have not got assistance and they are staging protests. The State government is now claiming that after Centre releases funds, money will be transferred to farmers.”

Purohit further stated that Odisha government has almost become bankrupt and is now misleading people.

Odisha Agriculture minister Arun Sahoo, on the other hand, stated that “KALIA grievance redressal mechanism is being created so that farmers can lodge their complaints.”