Odisha: KALIA assistance refund kept in abeyance

Bhubaneswar: Refund of Odisha Government’s KALIA financial assistance by ineligible beneficiaries has been kept in abeyance, official sources said today.

The Director of Agriculture & Food Production has written a letter to the Chief District Agriculture Officers in this regard.

“In view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation and the Kharif agricultural crop operations, it has been decided to keep the refund activities of KALIA assistance from the ineligible beneficiaries in abeyance for the present. Therefore, you are requested to inform the field extension functionaries accordingly,” the director said in the letter.

The state government had asked around 50,000 ineligible KALIA beneficiaries, who had availed financial assistance under the scheme, to refund the money.

Out of 51 lakh beneficiaries, around 50,000 were found ineligible, Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department’s Principal Secretary Saurabh Garg had said.