Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik yesterday (June 30), announced a COVID assistance of Rs 3,860 million to 1.8 million landless farmers under the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) Yojana. He said that the money was transferred to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Under the scheme, each farmer gets Rs 12,500 in three installments.

Patnaik also announced that each landless farmer would receive an additional Rs 1,000 as assistance, over and above the KALIA provision.

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Patnaik attributed the success of the agriculture sector to the sacrifice and hard work of the landless farmers.

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The state government has also announced a separate financial assistance package for street vendors, dairy farmers, construction workers and other sections of the population for their livelihood sustenance. The chief minister said that this was to help them tide over the severe crisis they faced because of the lockdowns and the shutdowns on account of the Covid pandemic. Patnaik also urged farmers to get vaccinated.

The Odisha state government has also demanded the implementation of the recommendations of the MS Swaminathan Committee report, in order to protect the interests of the landless farmers.

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