Govt urges farmers to use 'green form' for inclusion in KALIA

The Odisha government Friday urged all the small and marginal farmers, cultivators, vulnerable agriculture households and landless gricultural labourers to enroll their names to become beneficiaries of the newly launched KALIA scheme.

The farmers may visit the office of gram panchayats (GP) across the state and check the published draft list of beneficiaries under the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme.

Launched on December 31, the scheme, according to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, is an innovative package for farmers welfare. It aims to accelerate agricultural prosperity and reduce poverty across the state.

As per the provision of the scheme, all the small and mariginal farmers' families will get Rs 10,000 per annum as input assistance for cultivation during Rabi and Kharif crop. Even the landless and agricultural farmers have opportunities to get benefit from the scheme.

The draft list of beneficiaries under the scheme have been made available at 6,799 gram panchayats across the state, an official said.

In case a farmer's name is not included in the draft list, the farmer needs to fill the 'Green Form' available at the GP office and drop the duly filled form in the 'Green Drop Box' with the requisite details/ documents.

In case the farmer wants to delete his/ her name from the draft beneficiary list, then he/ she may use the 'Red Form' available at the GP office and put it along with other details in the designated 'Red Drop Box'.

The red form can also be used to file objections, they said.

For inclusion or exclusion, a farmer can deposit the forms (Green or Red) by January 10 in the first phase. The draft list has already been sent to all the GP offices since January 2.

The forms received would be scrutinized for inclusion/ exclusion at an appropriate level as decided by the government, the official said.