Bhubaneswar: The state unit of BJP Wednesday raked up the issue of non-payment of the second installment of KALIA money and irregularities under the scheme to corner the state government.
Speaking to the media, BJP state vice president Samir Mohanty said, “The government had promised the second installment of funds under the KALIA scheme to the farmers before elections. I want to ask the government what happened to the Cabinet resolution of the state of May 29 where it was planned to give the benefits to lakhs of farmers including agricultural workers and sharecroppers.”
He also said, “When the new entrants under the scheme will get the benefit from the scheme. What happened to the initial due of the farmers who are still deprived of the benefits of the scheme?”
The leader also asked the state government as to why the government has failed to furnish the list of beneficiaries from the state who got the first installment from the government under the scheme? The leader attacked the BJD government over the alleged irregularities under the scheme.
The BJD, however, termed the allegations of the BJP as cheap politics. BJD spokesperson and party’s Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra said, “The BJP is trying to defame the KALIA scheme and does not want that the farmers get their second dues under the scheme. I am unable to understand why the party is adopting to such anti-farmer ways. It seems that the BJP is trying to discredit the benefits farmers receive from the scheme which is very unfortunate.”
