Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to consider the inclusion of landless labourers, sharecroppers and vulnerable households under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme.
Welcoming the announcement of the new Central scheme for augmenting the income of farmers by providing support, Mr. Patnaik said that the inclusion of landless labourers, sharecroppers and vulnerable households will make the scheme more inclusive.
In his letter, the Chief Minister brought to Mr. Modi’s notice that the Odisha government has rolled out the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) to further accelerate agricultural prosperity and reduce poverty in the State.
“The KALIA scheme is progressive and inclusive,” he said.
Mr. Patnaik informed Mr. Modi that the KALIA scheme covers 92% of the cultivators, sharecroppers (actual cultivators) and landless agricultural labourers in the State.
“It (KALIA) recognises that livestock and fishery-based activities are key drivers of economic growth in rural areas particularly for landless households as the income from wage labour alone is not sufficient,” said Mr. Patnaik.
Financial assistance
The Chief Minister further said that the Odisha scheme also provides for financial assistance to vulnerable agricultural households who may not be able to take up cultivation or the livelihood activities due to various reasons.
The scheme, rolled out in January, has created huge interest and response amongst the farming community of the State, said Mr. Patnaik. “It shall be our endeavour to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries are assisted under the scheme, so that no one who is eligible is left out,” he added.
Reacting to the announcement of the PM scheme, Mr. Patnaik had said that it would have benefited the farmers more if the quantum of assistance was equal or more than the KALIA scheme which is ₹10,000 pa.
