BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Wednesday said that Rs 2,552.64 crore was disbursed to 51,05,290 farmers under KALIA (Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation) scheme out of which the ineligible beneficiaries count stood at 45,965.
In September, the government had said that only 32,000 of the total 51.05 lakh KALIA (Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation) beneficiaries were ineligible beneficiaries.
In his written reply to a question by Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati in the State Assembly, agriculture minister Arun Kumar Sahoo said that in the first instalment, 51,05,290 beneficiaries (36,34,710 small and marginal farmers and 14,70,580 landless) were enrolled in the KALIA scheme, the block-wise and district-wise list is available in KALIA web portal (kalia.co.in). The Rs 5,000 cash assistance was deposited in their acco-unts between January 2019 and May 2019.
As per government reports, 45,965 persons have been identified so far as ineligible and the cash benefits extended by the government from the State exchequer funds to these bogus beneficiaries, amounts to Rs 22,98,25,000 (22.98 cr). Steps are being taken to recover the money from them, said Mr Sahoo.
Also, district-wise and block-wise list of actual beneficiaries will be published online, added the minister. The government has in the first phase provided Rs 5,000 to KALIA beneficiaries.
