Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik disbursed Tuesday around Rs 800 crore to farmers under the state’s flagship KALIA scheme on the occasion of agrarian festival Akshaya Tritiya. Naveen Patnaik disbursed the amount to 40 lakh farmers through video conferencing, barring the peasants in Jharsuguda district where the Model Code of Conduct is enforced for the May 31 by-election to Brajarajnagar Assembly seat. Each registered farmer will get Rs 2,000 for Kharif crop.
Under the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme, the Odisha government provides Rs 4,000 to farmers in two phases – once during Kharif and another in Rabi season. Patnaik highlighted farmers’ contribution to ensuring food security.
Patnaik also launched eight new programmes for agricultural development, including Panasa (jackfruit) Mission and Rejuvenating Watershed for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development (Reward) programme.
Patnaik said the state government has allocated more than Rs 20,000 crore under the agriculture budget for 2022-23 fiscal. He said that Rs 500 crore has been allocated for Reward project to improve the productivity of cultivable land through equitable distribution of irrigation.
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A total of Rs 2,808 crore has been allocated under Millet Mission for farmers in 182 blocks in 19 districts, Rs 97 crore under Jackfruit Mission, and Rs 239 crore to include 1.8 lakh farmers in eight districts under special programme for promotion of integrated farming, he said.
Patnaik also launched ‘Krushak Odisha’ portal, where farmers can update their data to get necessary services and advices. Similarly, ‘Go-Sugam’ portal was launched for livestock farmers.