Odisha government approves Rs 10,000 crore KALIA scheme for farmers

The Odisha cabinet on Friday approved the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme amounting to over Rs 10,000 crore for farmers.

The scheme will provide financial, livelihood, cultivation support along with insurances to the farmers.

"To further accelerate agricultural prosperity and to reduce poverty, the state cabinet has approved the historic KALIA scheme, amounting to over Rs 10,000 crore," said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Under KALIA, the amount will be spent over a period of three years till 2020-21. All the small and marginal farmers of the state (over 30 lakh) will be covered under this scheme.

An amount of Rs 10,000 per family at the rate of Rs 5,000 each for kharif and rabi seasons will be provided financial assistance for taking up cultivation. Farmers will have complete independence to take up interventions as per their needs, said the Chief Minister.

He said this will cover 92% of the cultivators of the state.

This assistance is for five crop seasons spanning three years from 2018-19 to 2021-22.

Patnaik said it will greatly benefit sharecroppers/actual cultivators most of whom own very small land.

As many as 10 lakh landless households will also be supported with a unit cost of Rs 12,500 to take up activities like small goat rearing, fishery kits, mushroom cultivation and beekeeping.

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This apart, annual financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per household will be provided to take care of sustenance of those farmers who may not be able to take up cultivation or avail livelihood options due to old-age, disability, disease or other reasons.

Deserving families will be identified and selected by Gram Panchayats, said the Chief Minister.

"About 10 lakh households will be covered over two years under this scheme at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore," he added.

Patnaik said that life insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh and additional personal accident cover of Rs 2 lakh will be provided to both cultivators and landless agricultural labourers covering about 57 lakh households.

He also said that crop loans up to Rs 50,000 will henceforth be interest-free.