Odisha Government launches KALIA scheme to accelerate agricultural prosperity

• The Odisha Government on December 21, 2018 approved the KALIA (Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation) scheme to accelerate agricultural prosperity in the State and to reduce poverty.
• According to the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, it is progressive, inclusive and will make a direct attack on poverty by way of massive investment in the agriculture sector and making benefits reach the most needy through direct benefit transfer (DBT) mode.

Features of the scheme

• Under the scheme an amount of ₹10,180 crore will be spent over a period of three years till 2020-211.
• Crop loans up to ₹50,000 will henceforth be interest free, and the scheme will be reviewed in 2020-21 for further modifications.
• Almost all the small and marginal farmers of the State (92% cultivators) will be covered under the scheme.
• An amount of ₹10,000 per family at the rate of ₹5,000 for Kharif and Rabi shall be provided as financial assistance for taking up cultivation.
• Under this scheme, 10 lakh landless households will be supported with a unit cost of ₹12,500 to take up activities like small goat rearing units, mini layer units, duck units, fishery kits for fishermen and women, mushroom cultivation and bee keeping.
• There are about 32 lakh cultivators in the State. Of these, about 20 lakh have availed of crop loans. Of the 20 lakh loanee farmers, about 60% have regularly repaid loans.
• An annual financial assistance of ₹10,000 per household will be provided to take care of their sustenance.
• Beneficiary families will be identified and selected by gram panchayats. About 10 lakh households will be covered over two years.
• Life insurance cover of ₹2 lakh and additional personal accident cover of ₹2 lakh will be provided to both cultivators and agricultural labourers covering about 57 lakh households.