KALIA SCHEME

Why in News?

  • Odisha government has decided to merge its KALIA Scheme with centre’s PM-KISAN Scheme recently.

About KALIA Scheme?

  • KALIA or “Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation” scheme was launched by the Odisha Government for farmer’s welfare.
  • The aim of the scheme is to accelerate agricultural prosperity and reducing poverty in the State by encouraging cultivation and associated activities through financial assistance to farmers.
  • The scheme is being seen as a viable alternative to farm loan waivers.

About Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme:

  • Under this programme, vulnerable landholding farmer families, having cultivable land upto 2 hectares, will be provided direct income support at the rate of Rs. 6,000 per year.
  • This income support will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of beneficiary farmers, in three equal installments of Rs. 2,000 each.

About the Merger:

  • Odisha government has decided to merge its KALIA Scheme with centre’s Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme.
  • So, in wake of this, Odisha government has also reduced the financial assistance given to farmers under the Kalia scheme to Rs 4,000 per annum from Rs 10,000.
  • This is because of the reason to keep parity between both the schemes.
  • The small farmers/marginal farmers may be given with Rs Rs.4,000 per year under KALIA scheme, so that they will get Rs 10,000 cumulatively per year. (i.e. Rs 6,000 from PM-KISAN and Rs 4,000 from KALIA).
  • The Odisha government has also announced that the actual cultivators (share croppers) who are landless, if any, will also continue to get assistance from Kalia i.e; Rs 10,000 annually, since they are not considered under PM-KISAN.

Eligible Beneficiaries under KALIA Scheme (Before Merger):

  • This scheme is for the benefit of Small and marginal farmers, landless Agricultural household, vulnerable Agricultural household, landless Agricultural labourers and sharecroppers (Actual cultivators)
  • Small and Marginal Farmers are eligible to get benefit financial assistance of Rs.25000 per family over 5 seasons under support to cultivators for cultivation.
    • Marginal Farmer – who owns less than 1 hectare of Agricultural land
    • Small Farmer – who owns 1 hectare (2.5 acres) to 2 hectares (5 acres) of Agricultural land.
  • Land less agricultural households is eligible to get financial Assistance of Rs.12500 for the livelihood support under the scheme.
  • Vulnerable agricultural household covering vulnerable cultivators/ landless agricultural labourers are eligible to get financial assistance of Rs, 10,000 per year under the KALIA scheme. Vulnerable cultivators/ landless agricultural labourers include old age, disability, disease or any other reason. Out of the above three components viz., support to cultivators for cultivation, livelihood support for landless agricultural household and financial assistance to vulnerable agricultural household, one beneficiary will avail only one benefit as per the eligibility. Apart from these components, the scheme also provides for life insurance support and interest free crop loans for all the categories of beneficiary under KALIA scheme.

Similar Farmer Assistance Schemes Elsewhere:

Rythu Bandhu Scheme of Telangana:

  • Rythu Bandhu scheme also known as Farmers’ Investment Support Scheme (FISS) is a farmer welfare program of the Government of Telangana. This scheme has been introduced in order to support farmers’ investment in the agriculture so as to boost the agricultural prosperity.
  • Under this scheme, the government is providing Rs 4,000 per acre per season, twice a year for growing Kharif and Rabi crops.
  • The financial assistance is provided to all the farmers and there is no cap on the number of acres owned by the farmers.
  • It is to be noted that more than 75% of the agricultural land in Telangana is under the control of small and marginal farmers and hence this scheme is considered to be of immense benefit to the small and marginal farmers.

A Comparison in Brief:

KALIA SchemeRythu Bandhu SchemePM-KISAN SCHEME
StateOdishaTelanganaCentre
CoverageSmall and marginal farmers Landless Agricultural household, Vulnerable Agricultural household Landless Agricultural labourers Sharecroppers (Actual cultivators)All the FarmersAll the land holding Farmers
Tenants and Sharecroppers includedYesNoNo
Financial Assistance ProvidedDiffers for different categories of beneficiariesUniform financial assistance of Rs 8,000 per yearRs.6000 per year
Life Insurance SupportYesNoNot provided
Interest Free Crop LoansYesNoNot provided

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