KALIA merges with PM-KISAN
What KALIA proved for BJD in the State, PM-Kisan yielded similar results for BJP at the Centre in 2019 elections. After remaining reluctant for merger of Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) with Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) yojana since the polls, the State gave in to the convergence of the two schemes towards the end of the year as it was burdened under financial constraints.
The convergence will benefit the State with a net saving of Rs 3,060 crore taking the number of beneficiaries to 51 lakh.
Eligible farmers will continue to get Rs 10,000 (Rs 6,000 from the Centre and Rs 4,000 from State). However, the State will take care of the landless agricultural households as promised before the election.
Farm politics
With farm politics taking the centre stage after political parties promised moon in their election manifestos during the elections, the farmers started asserting their rights.
The Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS), which has been spearheading a movement on its demand over price, prestige and pension, is slowly but successfully emerging as a force to reckon with.
Organising its second national mega convention of farmers in the Capital City in November, the NNKS went beyond the demand of price, prestige and pension asking for a right in policymaking.
Cyclone Fani & Bulbul
Prone to natural disaster, the State was visited by cyclone Fani in May and Bulbul in November causing considerable damage to the farm sector.
Fani took away the livelihood of over 50,000 farmers in six coastal districts of Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Jajpur, Jagatsingpur and Kendrapara by uprooting around 14 lakh coconut trees.
The untimely rains under the impact of cyclone Bulbul damaged standing kharif crops mostly paddy in several coastal districts including Balasore and Bhadrak. The Centre came to the rescue of the affected farmers for its prompt and timely assistance.
The great onion crisis
Onion crisis is not new the state. However, never before the pungent edible bulb has tormented the people so much as it did this year. Considered poor man’s diet, onion went beyond the reach of middle-class families for nearly two months with its price skyrocketing to Rs 150 a kg.
This great onion crisis thoroughly exposed the inefficiency of the State Government with people asking “What happened to the Onion Mission in Odisha?” which the ruling BJD announced a couple of years ago to achieve self-sufficiency in production. Similar is the story of State Potato Mission which ended 2017-18 with a miscarriage.
Token System under P-PAS
Centralised token system for paddy procurement, a first of its kind in any part of the country, ran into rough weather with loud protest from farmers of western Odisha demanding its withdrawal and restoration of the old method of physical token issued by PACS.
Realising that vested interest groups led by rice mill owners are behind the agitation, the State Government put its foot down and refused to accept any changes.
The new system proved to be more efficient with less error and less time consuming for the farmers who used to wait at Mandis for days to sell their surplus paddy.