51 lakh farmers have received financial assistance under Kalia scheme: Minister

Bhubaneswar: Over 51 lakh farmers have received financial assistance under the Kushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme of the Odisha government, a Minister said on Wednesday.

Replying to an unstarred question of BJP legislator Mohan Charan Majhi, Agriculture Minister Arun Sahoo told the Assembly that 36.34 lakh small and marginal farmers and 14.70 lakh landless farmers have received financial assistance under the KALIA scheme so far.

The state government has set a target to include 75 lakh beneficiaries including 50 lakh small and marginal farmers and 25 lakh landless farmers under the scheme, the minister said.

Sahoo said the selection process for the remaining beneficiaries is going on.

The state government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 5,501 crore in the 2019-20 budget and Rs 2,175.66 crore in the 2018-19 budget, the minister informed.

Small, marginal and landless farmers are given Rs 5,000 through their bank accounts under the scheme. The beneficiary farmers are provided Rs 10,000 each per annum for two crops (Rs 5,000 for kharif and Rs 5,000 for the rabi crop), said an official.