Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today distributed financial assistance worth Rs 933.07 crore to 46 lakh small, marginal, and landless farmers under the Kalia Yojana program. He also inaugurated Kalia Kendras in all districts to provide technical guidance to farmers.
The Chief Minister announced a significant three-year extension of the Kalia Yojana, bringing its benefits to farmers until 2026–27. This extension signifies an additional Rs 6030 crore investment by the state government.
Recognising the importance of education, Patnaik announced changes to the Kalia scholarship program. Starting this academic year, scholarships will be extended to children of Kalia beneficiary families pursuing technical and professional education in private institutions within and outside Odisha. This includes prestigious institutions like NIT, IIT, IIM, AIIMS, and ICAR.
Addressing the need for agricultural expertise, the Chief Minister inaugurated Kalia Kendras in 30 districts. These centres aim to serve as innovative hubs, providing resources and technical support to farmers.
Landless farmer families received a welcome boost with an additional Rs 2,000 each for the current Kharif season. This adds to the existing Rs 12,500 provided in installments, benefiting over 18 lakh families with a total investment of Rs 360 crore.
Furthermore, the Chief Minister announced Rs 2,000 each to the bank accounts of all farmers in the state for the Kharif-2024 season, impacting over 45 lakh farmers.
Emphasising the importance of farmer prosperity, Patnaik stated, “The prosperity of the farmer brothers is the prosperity of the state.”
Shri Karthik Pandian, Chairman of 5T, and Naveen Odisha highlighted the programme’s significance. Launched in 2019, Kalia Yojana has benefited over 64 lakh farmers with a total assistance of Rs 13,793 crore in the past five years. He emphasised that Odisha is the only state in India offering financial aid to landless farmers.
Senior officials and dignitaries, including Chief Secretary Shri P.K. Jena, Development Commissioner Smt. Anu Garg, attended the event. Dr. Arvind Kumar Padhi and Director Agriculture delivered the welcome address and vote of thanks, respectively.
