Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) Scheme

The Odisha government launched the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme to reduce poverty and accelerate agricultural prosperity. It is a scheme that provides various benefits for farmers’ welfare. 

The KALIA scheme supports cultivators, small farmers and landless agricultural labourers. It provides payments to farmers to encourage cultivation and associated activities. It will benefit 92% of the cultivators in the state of Odisha, who can avail of the scheme benefits through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.

Eligibility for KALIA Scheme

• Small and marginal farmers. A small farmer is a cultivator owning one hectare (2.5 acres) to two hectares (5 acres) of agricultural land. A marginal farmer is a farmer owning less than one hectare of agricultural land.
• Landless agricultural households. A landless agricultural household is a household that does not own any land and is engaged in agricultural activities for more than six months, not covering other activities such as construction, etc.
• Vulnerable agricultural households. A vulnerable agricultural household covers vulnerable cultivators, who are vulnerable due to old age, disease, disability, or any other reason.
• Landless agricultural labourers and sharecroppers. 
• The farmers must be permanent residents or domiciles of Odisha. 

The following persons are ineligible to get the benefits of the KALIA scheme:

• When a farmers’ spouse is an employee under the Central Government, State Government or Public Sector Undertaking (PSU).
• A farmer belongs to the Urban Local Body (ULB).
• A farmer is a present or former Central Minister, Member of Parliament, State Minister, Member of Legislative Assembly, Mayor or Zila Parishad.
• A farmer is an engineer, lawyer, architect, doctor, chartered accountant, police or teacher registered with professional bodies.
• A farmer or his/her family member is an income or professional taxpayer or assessee.
• A farmer is a minor (less than 18 years).
• A farmer is a present or former holder of constitutional posts.
• A farmer has been assisted multiple times (more than one).
• A farmer is not interested, i.e. has applied for voluntary exclusion from the scheme.

Benefits of KALIA Scheme

Assistance for cultivation 

The KALIA scheme gives financial assistance of Rs.25,000 for a farm family (small and marginal farmers) over five seasons to purchase inputs like fertilisers, seeds and pesticides. The farm family can also use the financial assistance towards labour and other investments. The assistance for cultivation is implemented from the Rabi season 2018-19 onwards.

Assistance for livelihood

The assistance for livelihood provides financial assistance of Rs.12,500 to all landless agricultural households for allied agricultural activities like mini-layer units, small goat rearing units, duckery units, mushroom cultivation, fishery kits for fisherman and bee-keeping, etc. This assistance will particularly benefit the SC and ST population of Odisha state.

Assistance for vulnerable agricultural household

The vulnerable cultivators or landless agricultural labourers will get financial assistance of Rs.10,000 per family every year to enable them to take care of their sustenance. 

Life insurance for cultivators and landless agricultural labourers

The KALIA scheme provides a life insurance cover of Rs.2 lakh at a nominal premium of Rs.330 per annum to all savings bank account holders who are cultivators and landless agricultural labourers between 18-50 years. The Odisha government will bear the farmers’ share of an annual premium of Rs.165. 

The KALIA scheme provides a personal accident cover of Rs.2 lakh at a nominal premium of Rs.12 per annum for all savings bank account holders who are cultivators and landless agricultural labourers between 18-50 years. The Odisha government will bear the farmers’ share of an annual premium of Rs.6. The Odisha government will bear the entire amount of Rs.12 towards the annual premium of the beneficiaries aged between 51-70 years.

Interest-free crop loan

The KALIA scheme will provide crop loans up to Rs.50,000 at 0% interest for the vulnerable landless labourers, sharecroppers, cultivators, and agricultural families identified by Gram Panchayats. The 0% interest loan is provided to the relevant borrowers to ensure agriculture development and growth.

KALIA Scheme Application Process

• The farmers can fill out the KALIA scheme application form available at the Gram Panchayat office and submit it at the Gram Panchayat office level.
• The Gram Panchayat level nodal officers will scrutinise the list of applicants with the Gram Panchayat Level Committee and submit the list to the District Level Committee for approval.
• A draft list of beneficiaries under the KALIA scheme will be published at each Primary Agriculture Credit Society (PACS) and Gram Panchayat level. The applicants can check the scheme beneficiary list at the PACS, Grama Panchayat level, or the official KALIA scheme website.

The KALIA scheme beneficiaries can also update their KYC documents on the official KALIA scheme website. The farmers will receive financial assistance under the KALIA scheme through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode directly to their bank accounts, helping them get assistance on time.