Opposition parties BJP and Congress on Sunday criticised the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme of the BJD Government, saying it has been launched keeping an eye on the 2019 general elections.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the State Government is trying to avoid issues such as price and pension for farmers and farm loan waiver by introducing the KALIA scheme.

He alleged that the BJD Government has no intention to help farmers. The KALIA scheme is an attempt of the Naveen Government to win votes. “They (ruling-BJD) had promised bonus for farmers and irrigation of 10 lakh hectare of land but nothing happened. The people, who have always cheated farmers, have now taken the help of KALIA (Lord Jagannath). The Government lacks proper plan for the scheme, rather it’s just a new plan to woo voters,” Pradhan said.

Similarly, OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik alleged that the Chief Minister is trying to fool farmers through the KALIA scheme as the general elections are barely four months away.

“In what ways can KALIA scheme be comparable with the bonus scheme that we have promised? Naveenbabu has himself told that loan waiver would lead to a massive crunch in the State economy. So, how many times has he waived off loan of farmers in his 19-years of rule?… The scheme is not a new one, the State Government is just fooling farmers again as the general elections are round the corner,” said Patnaik.

In reaction, Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera said KALIA scheme would help actual farmers, including marginal and sharecroppers. The scheme would also help wipe out the regular demands of loan waiver as farmers can get regular assistance.

“Opposition parties are spreading false rumours related to the KALIA scheme out of fear,” added Behera.