The Odisha Government transferred Rs 693.94 crore to the bank accounts of 3.4 million farmers under its flagship Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme
The decision to reduce the Kalia assistance was taken after the Odisha government merged the Kalia scheme with the Centres Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi
According to the provisions of the 'Kalia' scheme, farmers, mostly small and marginal cultivators, are entitled to get Rs 10,000 in two instalments for two crops in a year
The direct cash transfer was done under the scheme titled 'KALIA' or Krushak Assistance for Livelihoods & Income Augmentation (KALIA) hailed as the best conceived programme for agrarian distress