In what could be major pre-poll sop, the Odisha cabinet on Thursday approved an estimated budget of ₹6,029.70 crores for the next three years (2024-25 to 2026-27) under the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA), a farmer incentive programme.
According to the cabinet note, the State had implemented a farmers’ welfare scheme KALIA from 2018-19, as majority of the population of the State directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.
The KALIA scheme which was announced prior to 2019 election had proved game changer for the Naveen Patnaik government as support for the regional party had swelled due to direct cash transfer scheme for farmers.