More than 53 lakh farmers of the State received financial assistance of over Rs 1,272 crore under the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik through a videoconferencing launched the transfer of the amount to the accounts of the beneficiaries on Friday.
Each beneficiarys got Rs 2,000 through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
“While all areas of the economy were affected during the Covid-19 lockdown, our farmers were able to revive the agriculture sector with their hard work. I salute their efforts,” Patnaik said. “The Odisha Government has been repeatedly demanding the Central Government to double the MSP. Various programmes have been initiated by the State Government to strengthen marketing infrastructure for agricultural produce,” said he.
The KALIA scheme has been tailored to relieve the debt-ridden farmers from debt traps with a vision to directly attack poverty by providing financial assistance to the vulnerable agriculture households, landless labourers ad marginal cultivators. The scheme brings under its umbrella 92% of cultivators of the State and almost all needy landless cultivators, who can avail the benefits.