Odisha Govt Writes To Ineligible KALIA Beneficiaries To Refund Assistance

Bhubaneswar : Around 50,000 ineligible beneficiaries who have availed assistance under the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) Scheme have been asked to refund the amount, informed Principal Secretary Agriculture Saurabh Garg.

“We have sent request letters to ineligible beneficiaries of KALIA scheme who have not refunded the amount on their own. They have been informed about the bank account number through which they can refund the money,” said Garg speaking to reporters after a high-level meeting at the Krushi Bhawan here today.

Garg said that out of 51 lakh beneficiaries who have availed assistance under KALIA Scheme 98% were eligible and only around 50,000 were found to be ineligible.

The Principal Secretary said that many of the ineligible beneficiaries like farmers with large holdings, income tax payees and government employees on their own have refunded the assistance transferred to them.

Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo on February 19 this year had in a written reply informed the Odisha Assembly that a mere 1,863 out of 45,965 identified ineligible KALIA Scheme beneficiaries have refunded the assistance amount disbursed to them.

Sahoo had told the House that appropriate steps are being taken to get the assistance amount refunded from ineligible beneficiaries.

The Minister had further said that beneficiaries have been provided assistance in two instalments under the scheme from 2018-19 and 2019-20 budgets of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Department and the list of eligible beneficiaries provided with assistance is available at kalia.odisha.gov.in web portal.