Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday termed the state government’s ambitious scheme, Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA), as a ‘fraudulent scheme’ and pointed at several lacunae in the norms for availing benefits under the scheme which is meant to financially assist the farmers of Odisha.
Addressing a presser here, BJP’s state party manifesto committee Chairman, Biswa Bhushan Harichandan said, “The Kalia scheme is a fraudulent one, framed to exploit the farmers. It sounds good on paper but difficult to actualise. While the state government plans to reach out to lakhs of beneficiaries, they have ensured that the farmers get funds ahead of polls. This would put a strain on the state treasury. This is nothing but an ‘election gift’.”
He also added that the scheme is to benefit all kinds of farmers. Therefore those farmers who do not need assistance will also get money under this scheme. Thus it is clear that the scheme does not aim to boost agriculture, as it does not cater to those who actually need it.
The BJP veteran blzed his guns at BJD when he opined that the state government has failed to legally define ‘shared croppers’ but has decided to dole out incentives to them under the new scheme. The scheme seems like a foolproof way to assist BJD workers at the ground level. There is no proper estimate of agricultural labourers in the state and it was one of the most non-organised sectors which need immediate attention.
Harichandan also stressed on the need for more food processing units and irrigation projects which would benefit the agricultural sector of the state.
The BJD has not cowered down and has come up with a befitting reply. BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb said, “KALIA was not framed all of a sudden. We have tried other options like charging 1 per cent interest loans from farmers, a separate agriculture budget, special dedicated cabinet for agriculture, et al. The KALIA scheme is the state government’s way of trying to help the farmers of the state and definitely not a gimmick before the general elections.”