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 beneficiaries were ineligible beneficiaries.
In his written reply to a question by Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati in the Assembly, agriculture minister Arun Kumar Sahoo said that in the first installment, 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 on kalia.co.in. The Rs 5,000 cash assistance was deposited in their accounts 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 government from the state exchequer to these bogus beneficiaries, amounts to Rs 22,98,25,000 (Rs 22.98cr). Steps are being taken to recover the money from them, said Sahoo.
The Odisha government has in the first phase provided Rs 5,000 to Kalia beneficiaries. Thus, ineligible have pocketed Rs 22.98 cr.
