Odisha transfers aid of ₹920 crore to accounts of farmers hit by Covid-19 induced lockdown

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik said though the state is currently facing the second wave of Covid-19 and undergoing lockdown, there are no restrictions for agricultural activities. The farmers can carry out agricultural activities with adherence to Covid-19 guidelines.

Published on: May 15, 2021, 24:18:01 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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As lakhs of small and marginal farmers in Odisha face uncertain times due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown, the state government on Friday transferred of ₹920 crore to the bank accounts of 42 lakh farmer families in Odisha under the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme, its flagship farmer welfare scheme.

The Odisha government will provide financial assistance to small and marginal farmers so that they can purchase inputs like seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and continue agricultural activities during the lockdown imposed in the state. (ANI PHOTO.)

The assistance of ₹920 crore includes ₹556.64 crore given by the Centre under the PM Kisan scheme for Kharif-2021. Since 2020-21, the KALIA scheme has been merged with the PM-KISAN programme with the Centre giving ₹6000 a year to small and marginal farmers annually while the state provides ₹4,000 a year.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik said though the state is currently facing the second wave of Covid-19 and undergoing lockdown, there are no restrictions for agricultural activities. The farmers can carry out agricultural activities with adherence to Covid-19 guidelines.

Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided to small and marginal farmers so that they can purchase inputs like seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and use assistance towards labour and other investments.

This apart, financial assistance is provided to each landless agricultural household for agriculture allied activities like small goat rearing unit, mini-layer unit, fishery kits for fisherman, mushroom cultivation and bee-keeping, etc.

Vulnerable cultivators and landless agricultural labourers will get financial assistance of ₹10,000 per family per year to enable them to take care of their sustenance.

The assistance is also likely to help lakhs of dairy farmers who have been left high and dry by the two-week long lockdown. The Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Limited, the apex body of milk producers and other cooperative unions, has reduced its milk procurement from 5.45 lakh litres a day to 3.75 lakh litres a day during the lockdown.

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