Kalia assistance to all apllicants on first day of next BJD

BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Friday announced that financial assistance would be given to all applicants of the Kalia scheme on the first day of his government taking oath of the office after Assembly election.

Stating that farmers and agriculture is his party's first priority, Patnaik said not a single eligible farmer will be denied benefit under the Kalia scheme implemented in the state for welfare of farmers.

He said two instalment amount will be credited to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries after the BJD returns to power.

"On the first day after the oath taking, all Kalia applicants numbering about 25 lakh farmers who are in the list but not given assistance would be given two instalments (Rs 10,000) at one go," Patnaik announced at an election meeting in Koraput district.

Though a majority of beneficiaries have already received the financial assistance of Rs 5,000 for one crop, others identified farmers could not get it due to enforcement of model code of conduct for the elections in the state.

So far about 40 lakh farmers have been benefited under Kalia scheme and another 25 lakh farmers will be added to the list soon, the chief minister said.

Earlier, while addressing an election rally in Ganjam district, Patnaik had called upon the farmers to teach a lesson to the opposition party which blocked the disbursement of their financial assistance.

The opposition BJP in a petition to the Election Commission of India, had alleged that the state's ruling BJD attempts to motivate farmers by providing financial assistance under the cover of Kalia scheme.

The saffron party also alleged that the state government blocked the Centre's PM-KISAN scheme by not cooperating with the Centre.

The BJD government's Kalia scheme has provision of financial assistance of Rs 5,000 for one crop.