Bhubaneswar: The state government has issued notification for merger of KALIA scheme with Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme.
The Agriculture and Farmer’s Empowerment department has recently issued the notification after approval of the state Cabinet about the merger.
After realising the huge financial burden on state exchequer, the state government has decided to merge the two schemes so that state will save Rs 6,000 per beneficiary. Over 50 lakh people have been covered under the KALIA scheme. The operational guidelines for both the schemes are same. All the farmers who have not received assistance under KALIA scheme will get monetary assistance of PM Kisan for Rabi 2018-19.
As all farmers covered under the state scheme will get aid from Centre from 2019-20, the state government has decided not to provide KALIA aid to these beneficiaries during Rabi 2019.
According to the provisions of the KALIA scheme, farmers, mostly small and marginal cultivators, are entitled to get Rs 10,000 in two installments for two crops in a year. The landless agricultural farmers are also eligible to get Rs 12,000 per annum for three years.
The state government has already paid first installment (of Rs 5,000) under KALIA scheme and process is on to disburse the second tranche. Under PM-Kisan scheme, the Centre is providing annually Rs 6,000 in three equal installments to about 14 crore farmers.
Therefore, from 2020-21, the state government will provide Rs 4,000 per year while Rs 6,000 will be provided under PM-Kisan scheme to the farmers. So, the poor farmers of the state would now get just Rs 10,000 instead of Rs 16,000. Landless farmers will, however, continue to get Rs 10,000 per year under the KALIA scheme. The government has also wiped out the interest free loan of Rs 50,000 assured under the scheme.