Even as Opposition members on Saturday alleged in the Assembly that the KALIA Yojana helped the BJD win elections though it didn’t benefit farmers much, the State Government claimed that the scheme has shown the way to the Centre and other States as to how to help farmers and bring reforms in the agriculture sector.
Initiating discussion on an Adjournment Motion on the issue, BJP Chief Whip Mohan Charan Majhi said that if the Government had any concern for farmers, it would have waived their loans.
“According to the State Level Bankers Committee, 54,24,000 farmers have incurred a total loan of Rs 26,606 crore. If the Government had waived a maximum loan of Rs 70,000 of each farmer, the State exchequer would have borne an expenditure of Rs 24,635 crore,” he said.
He alleged that the Government’s claims of providing insurance to famers and stipend to students of KALIA beneficiary families are baseless.
Congress Legislature Party Leader Narasingha Mishra asked the Government to present the data of 51,05,290 families to whom KALIA assistances have been provided. “I have received complaints that many farmers have not received assistances under the KALIA scheme. I request the Minister to give the data of all farmers to whom assistance has been provided,” urged Mishra.
Congress MLA Suresh Kumar Routray too alleged many irregularities in the scheme.
BJD members Prasant Kumar Muduli, Sudhir Kumar Samal, Praulla Samal and Ashok Kumar Bal refuted the Opposition charges, saying famers affiliated to all parties have got KALIA benefits.
In his reply, Agriculture and Famers’ Empowerment Minister Dr Arun Kumar Sahoo said that as many as 36,34,710 small and marginal farmers and 14,70,580 landless farm labourers have received the first-phase assistance of Rs 5,000. The Government has a target to provide KALIA assistance to 50,000 small and marginal farmers and 25,000 farm labourers, he said.
Claiming that the KALIA scheme has been followed by the Centre and the Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal Governments, the Minister said all data on farmers receiving KALIA aid would be put in public domain in August this year. He too assured the House that the KALIA scheme would reach pinnacles of its success soon.
Expressing unhappiness over the Minister’s reply, BJP members staged a walkout.