3.41 lakh ineligible beneficiaries under KALIA scheme

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has distributed KALIA assistance worth over Rs 170 crore to 3.41 lakh ineligible beneficiaries ahead of 2019 elections, informed state agriculture minister Arun Sahoo on Tuesday.

Out of the total ineligible beneficiaries, 20,000 government employees/pensioners and 9,000 minors availed benefits under the KALIA scheme.

The state government had launched Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme just before General Elections-2019 with the objective of win farmers’ support.

However, it started the process to identify the ineligible beneficiaries under KALIA scheme after the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) came to power for a fifth consecutive term in the state.

The government has provided monetary assistance to 51 lakh small and marginal farmers and landless agricultural labourers.