BHUBANESWAR: The state government’s Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme has received tremendous response from the farmers as record 65 lakh applications received under the scheme in the first phase.Deadline of the first phase registration that was started on January 2 ended on Tuesday.The new applications are apart from the 21.40 lakh cultivators figured in the draft list, who were previously engaged with government agencies in activities like crop insurance paddy procurement and seed or fertilizer purchasing. The village-wise draft list is on display in all the gram panchayats across Odisha.Since the scheme does not cover government, PSU employees and income tax payees, over one lakh have applied to remove their names from the draft list.“After field level inquiry and suo motu deletion process, we would prepare the first list of beneficiaries from among the draft list by January 21. Around 12 to 14 lakh beneficiaries are expected to get financial assistance by January 25,” said state cooperation secretary Krishan Kumar.In the first phase, farmers are expected to receive assistance of Rs 5,000 to spend on seed, fertilizer and labour cost for the forthcoming Rabi crop.Verification of the new applications (60 lakh) including the landless farmers and agricultural labourers would be started after disbursement of assistance for the first phase. Farmers, who are excluded in the first phase for want of certain documents, can also apply during the second phase starting from January 25 and to be continued till February 5, said an official source.The second phase verification process is expected to be completed by March first week.“We would ensure that no eligible beneficiary would be deprived from getting benefits under the scheme,” said Kumar adding there will be a third-phase registration process (if necessary) in March.Since the state government has not made any budgetary provision for the scheme, the state finance department on Tuesday granted an advance of Rs 734.66 crore from the Odisha Contingency Fund for implementing the scheme.Appreciated as a progressive initiative and substitute to farm loan waiver scheme, the KALIA initiative targets to cover 92 per cent of small and marginal cultivators and landless farmers. Financial assistance for agricultural and livelihood activities apart, KALIA also assures interest-free crop loan up to Rs 50,000 and life insurance support to the farmers.As successful implementation of the scheme could have helped the ruling party to gain electorally during the forthcoming simultaneous polls scheduled in April-May, the state government plans to release assistance to farmers in two phases before March. Around 70 per cent people of the state practice agriculture as their key occupation.

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