Bhubaneswar: With a view to fulfilling the promises made in its manifesto before the 2019 elections, the state government Friday presented a `20,714-crore agriculture Budget making provision for interest-free loan up to `1 lakh and allocating `5,611 crore for the KALIA scheme.
While presenting the agriculture Budget in the Assembly, Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari said, “Odisha is primarily dependent on the agriculture sector for employment as it provides direct and indirect livelihood to more than 60 per cent of the population.
Agriculture, including livestock and fisheries, contributes about 18 per cent to the GSDP.
“We initiated the process of a separate agriculture Budget in 2013-14 with an outlay of `7,162 crore. Under the leadership of our Chief Minister, I propose an outlay of `20,714 crore, which is about three times the size of the agriculture Budget in 2013-14,” Pujari said.
Further, about `8,000 crore is invested through extra budgetary resources every year for making timely payment to the farmers’ for paddy procurement.
The government has made provision of `5,611 crore for implementing the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme. During the 2019 elections, the government committed to provide financial support to about 75 lakh families dependent on agriculture. The scheme covers small and marginal farmers and landless agricultural labourers, including sharecroppers.
He said the KALIA outlay of `218 crore has been made under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) to treat 1.12 lakh hectares and create irrigation potential for 6,720 hectares.
Organic farming is being promoted in around 10,000 hectares under ‘Paramparagat Krishi Vikash Yojana’ for which a budgetary provision of `31 crore has been made in the 2019-20 fiscal, Pujari said.
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