Naveen Demands Inclusion Of Landless Farmers Under PM-Kisan Scheme

Bargarh: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday hit out once again at the Centre for not covering the landless farmers and sharecroppers under the PM-Kisan scheme.

Participating at a farmers convention here amid a bandh call given by farmers’ body in the State, Naveen demanded that the small, marginal and landless farmers be also included under the Central scheme, which provides an assured income support of Rs 6000.

Stating that the Kalia scheme of his government is superior to the PM-Kisan scheme as it gave Rs 10,000 to the farmers, Naveen said he has requested the Centre to give a matching amount to the farmers under the central scheme. Senior officials in the state government on Thursday said they will extend all support and cooperation to the Centre for the implementation of the PM-Kisan scheme in Odisha.

Slamming the farmers’ body for calling the Odisha bandh, the CM said no one can stop the Kalia scheme which will change the agrarian sector in the State and address the issue of poverty. Kalia scheme, he said, is being hailed across the country.

At the convention, Naveen released Rs 700 crore for 14 lakh beneficiaries under the Kalia scheme.

The CM also said that he is monitoring the scheme so that not even a single eligible farmer is deprived of the benefits of KALIA Scheme. “KALIA Scholarship Yojana is for the benefits of the children of the farmers. So, properly educate your children. Make them doctors, engineers and scientists. The State Government will bear the whole expenses,” he said.

During his visit to the district, he inaugurated the Sohela-Nuapada Biju expressway and laid the foundation stone of other projects worth Rs 2100 crore.