The BJP, the Congress and the Navnirman Kruhak Sanghathan (NKS) on Saturday pooh-poohed the State Government’s Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme stating separately that the scheme would not help farmers get rid of loan burden and resolve their hardships.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan took to the Twitter and mentioned that farmers have suffered a lot during the 19 years of the BJD Government due to lack of irrigation facilities, cold storages and Government support.
“The BJD Government has failed in creating 35% irrigation facility as promised by it. There are only five cold storages operating in the State. Average income of an Odia farmer is mere Rs 1,407. State produced only 2.68 lakh metric tonne of potato in 2017-18 against targe of 11.25 lakh MT. Financial backbone of farmers have broken during the last 19 years. The KALIA Scheme is a smoke screen,” said Pradhan.
Similarly, All India Congress Committee spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi here accused the Naveen Patnaik Government of shedding crocodile tears on issues concerning to the interest of the people and hypocritically announcing KALIA Sheme for farmers after 18 years just ahead of the elections.
“The BJD Government here had been sleeping for the last 18 years and now, as elections are round the corner, it woke up all of a sudden and is coming out with schemes for farmers and has named it after Lord Jagannath,” he said.
Referring to KALIA Scheme, he said, “Isn’t the name an insult to the Lord? What made the Gvernment name the scheme like that? It seems, Odisha CM has been infected by PM Modi’s jumla politics,” Singhvi quipped, adding that those who sleep for years and wake up just a few months ahead of elections will get befitting reply from people.
The NKS, which is spearheading the ongoing farmers’ agitation, dubbed the scheme as old wine in a new bottle.
“KALIA scheme is like old dress in new packing and an attempt of the State Government to woo the farmers. The State Government is trying to avoid the basic issues of the farmers including price, pension and farm loan waiver,” alleged NKS coordinator Askhya Kumar. But Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Minister Pradeep Maharathy refuted charges and said, “Nearly 92 per cent farmers in the State will benefit from the scheme. It is a historic decision taken by CM Naveen Patnaik.”