Kalia scheme for farmers extended by 3 years in Odisha, announces state cabinet

The state cabinet announced that the scheme exclusively meant for small and marginal farmers as well as sharecroppers will be operational till 2026-27

Published on: Feb 23, 2024, 09:19:59 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The Odisha state cabinet on Thursday extended the cash assistance scheme, Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) for farmers to overcome distress, by three more years with a proposed expenditure of ₹6,029 crore.

The state cabinet announced that the scheme exclusively meant for small and marginal farmers as well as sharecroppers will be operational till 2026-27.

The Kalia scheme was announced in December 2018 by Naveen Patnaik government.

Since December 2018, the state has spent ₹12,500 crore on 6.28 million farmers including 4.38 million small and marginal farmers and 1.89 million landless farmers so that they can purchase quality farm inputs like seeds, fertilisers and pesticides.

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Though for the first year, each farmer family received ₹5,000 every year, it was reduced to ₹4,000 a year from 2020-21 after the scheme was synchronised with PM-KISAN scheme through which small and marginal farmers receive ₹6,000 annually.

In addition to the financial assistance component and interest subvention, KALIA offers subsidies for insurance coverage.

Life insurance coverage of ₹2,00,000 at a premium of ₹330 per annum (of which the state government will bear ₹165) to all savings bank account holders aged between 18-50 years.

In addition, there is a subsidised personal accident cover of ₹2,00,000 at a nominal premium of ₹12 per annum (half borne by the state government) targeted at all savings bank account holders aged between 18-50 years. For beneficiaries in the age group of 51-70 years, the entire annual premium of ₹12 is borne by the state.

A Kalia scholarship scheme covering fees including hostel, and mess in public educational institutes for children of beneficiaries has also been launched.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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