MLAs ask minister about number of Kalia scheme beneficiaries

Opposition Congress and ruling BJD MLAs Wednesday asked Agriculture and Farmers empowerment minister Arun Kumar Sahoo about the number of farmers who benefited from the state government's Kalia scheme.

Under the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (Kalia) scheme, each farmer household is entitled to get Rs 5,000 per crop for input cost for cultivation.

The issue was raised during Question Hour in the Assembly when Congress member Tara Prasad Bahinipati wanted to know about the number of farmer households in the state in 2010 and now in 2019. He also wanted to know if the number of farmers household has declined over the nine years.

Sahoo in his reply said according to the 2011 census there were 32.8 lakh cultivators in Odisha. In addition, there were over 24 lakh farm labourers, the minister replied.

Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra sought to know from the minister how without having any recent data on number of sharecroppers, small and marginal farmers, the state government implemented the Kalia scheme. Replying to Mishra's question, the minister said under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), nearly 22 lakh farmers have already availed the scheme. Later, many farmers have applied for the scheme. The Agriculture department is analysing the details.

So far, nearly 50 lakh farmers have received Kalia scheme money in their accounts, the minister said.

Senior BJD members Prafulla Samal and Debi Prasad Mishra joined the opposition and sought clarifications from the minister on the matter.

Samal wanted to know the procedure of identification of sharecroppers as the beneficiary of the Kalia scheme.