Odisha Government’s KALIA with Scholarship Scheme

KALIA: Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation scheme, the ₹10000-crore scheme for the overall development of farmers in Odisha state launched by its Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on 31 December 2018 has an added component of a Scholarship Scheme for children of beneficiaries of KALIA under the KALIA Chhatra Bruti programme for pursuing higher education, announced Patnaik on Sunday 3 February 2019; addressing a farmers’ conclave in Keonjhar district of Odisha. Patnaik added that he had launched the scholarship programme under the popular KALIA scheme as he wanted the children to pursue higher studies in disciplines such as medicine, engineering, management and law. The State government will bear the educational expenses of the children of KALIA beneficiaries who are studying in government professional colleges on merit basis.

KALIA is a Government of Odisha progressive and inclusive farmers’ welfare programme that aims to empower small, marginal farmers and landless and covers 92% of the cultivators, loanee as well as non-loanee farmers, share croppers (actual cultivators) and landless agriculture labourers.

Odisha Chief Minister said that though the scheme did not have provision of farm loan waiver: “all the small and marginal farmers of the state (over 30 lakh) will be covered under the scheme”. This apart, the KALIA scheme also has a component for livelihood support for landless households.

“There are about 32 lakh cultivators in the state: Out of this about 20 lakh have availed crop loans. The remaining 12 lakh have not availed crop loans.” “Further the entire gamut of share croppers and landless labourers will not be covered under a loan waiver scheme.” “This component is not linked to the extent of land owned. It will greatly benefit share croppers and actual cultivators most of whom own very small extent of land. This assistance is for five crop seasons spanning three years from 2018-19 to 2021-22, so as to ensure comprehensive coverage.”

KALIA to provide:

• Financial assistance of ₹10000 to each farmer before the sowing seasons: ₹5000 before Kharif season and ₹5000 before Rabi season.
• Financial support to cultivators for cultivation: for purchasing seeds & fertilizers.
• Livelihood support for landless agricultural households: “Ten lakh landless households will be supported with a unit cost of ₹12500 to take up activities like goat rearing units, mini layer units, duckery units, fishery kits for fishermen and women, mushroom cultivation and bee keeping,” the landless households will have the option of selecting any of the units.
• The scheme, among others, will particularly benefit scheduled caste and scheduled tribe households.
• Financial assistance to vulnerable agricultural households: an annual financial assistance of ₹10000 per household to take care of sustenance of farmers not able to take up cultivation due to old age, disability, disease or other reasons. Deserving families will be identified and selected by gram panchayats. About 10 lakh households will be covered over two years under this scheme at a cost of ₹100 crore.
• Life insurance cover of ₹2 lakh and additional personal accident cover of ₹ 2 lakh to both cultivators and landless agriculture labourers covering about 74 lakh households, and
• Interest free crop loans up to ₹50000.