By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, February 21, 2019: The Naveen Patnaik led Odisha government finally has agreed to implement the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN).

The state government on Thursday announced that it would share the list of 12.45 lakh small and marginal farmers who had received the first installment of Rs 5,000 under the state’s own Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme for the Centre’s cash-transfer scheme.

The Biju Janata Dal led government had all along been noncommittal on the PM’s farm intervention scheme. These farmers, holding up to 2 hectares of land, in the state now stand to gain an additional Rs 6,000 in three installments through the year under the PM-KISAN scheme.

It had earlier refused to implement the Ayushman Bharat central health insurance scheme inviting criticism from opposition.

The Centre is expected to formally launch the PM-KISAN scheme, announced in the interim budget 2019-20, at a farmers’ conclave in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh on February 24. The onus on identifying beneficiaries for it has been placed with the states.

The Naveen Patnaik government is busy with a state-wide rollout of its KALIA scheme, which covers sharecroppers and landless agriculture labourers as well. Addressing a gathering of farmers at Sohela in Bargarh district, Patnaik on Thursday launched the Phase-II of KALIA. The scheme has been praised by economists for not being a loan waiver and including sharecroppers and landless farmers. Those with landholding get an assistance of Rs 25,000 (over five cropping seasons) while sharecroppers and the landless farmers get Rs 12,500 in three installments.

“It is very sad that the Centre’s scheme does not have anything for these neglected and deprived sections (sharecroppers and landless farmers). I have taken up the issue with the Prime Minister and demanded steps for supporting the landless farmers, sharecroppers and agricultural workers and protecting their interests.” Patnaik said seeking a hike of the assistance from Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000.