The State Government has intensified its preparations to provide KALIA assistance to agricultural labourers and small and marginal farmers.
It was revealed at a meeting of the State-level Committee on Execution of the KALIA scheme held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary AP Padhi at the State Secretariat on Wednesday.
Padhi advised the Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment Department and all district Collectors to finalise the list of beneficiaries within the stipulated timeframe after due screening of applications.
Padhi advised them to give focus on the eligibility of the beneficiaries, set right their bank accounts and deposit the assistance amount within the current month. He also directed to upgrade the awareness level of agricultural labourers about various ways of earning livelihood.
It was decided that livelihood awareness camps would be organised at Panchayat level during handing over of cheques.
Development Comm-issioner Asit Tripathy asked the Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry, Horticulture, Water Resource and Cooperative Departments to maintain coordination in the field for successful implementation of the alternative livelihood scheme.
Agriculture Secretary Saurabh Garg told reporters that assistance of Rs 5,000 will be given each to 4-5 lakh landless agricultural labourers from June 15 onwards. He said the balance amount of Rs 7,500 would be given in two phases.
Similarly, assistance to the small and marginal farmers will be given from June 22 onwards and 13-14 lakh such farmers would be covered under the scheme, said Garg.
Agriculture Director M Muthu Kumar said a State-level training camp would be organised on alternate methods of livelihood on June 14.
Stating that a training booklet has been published in order to guide the trainees, Muthu Kumar said the farmers would be given training on the benefits of animal husbandry, poultry farming, mushroom farming, apiculture, reprocessing of agricultural products and fishery.