Bhubaneswar, Aug 27 (IANS) Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday disbursed the third instalment of the CM-KISAN scheme for Rabi crop 2025-26, transferring a total of Rs 1,041 crore directly into the bank accounts of 51,54,115 small, marginal, landless farmers, tribal groups, and urban cultivators across Odisha.
On the eve of one of the major agrarian festivals of Odisha ‘Nuakhai’, CM Majhi released the payment during a state-level programme organised by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.
Each beneficiary, mostly small and marginal farmers, received Rs 2,000 as financial assistance for the upcoming Rabi crop season.
Under the scheme, eligible farmers across Odisha receive Rs 4,000 per annum in two installments, one during Akshaya Tritiya and the other during Nuakhai.
Addressing the gathering, CM Majhi highlighted that after coming to power his government in its first Cabinet meeting approved the ‘Samrudha Krushaka Yojana’.
Under this scheme, the government provided Rs 3,100 per quintal to the farmers and procured a record 92.63 lakh metric tonnes of paddy.
He also added that more than 51 lakh small and marginal farmers and 39,239 landless agricultural families in the state on Wednesday, jointly received Rs 1,041 crore as the third instalment under the CM-Krishak Yojana through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Through this one initiative, a minimum of Rs 38,000 has been added to the annual income of all the registered farmers of the state, said CM Majhi.
“Additionally, if the financial assistance of Rs 10,000 under SUBHADRA scheme and Rs 10,000 under the PM and CM Kisan scheme are added to it, the annual income of farmers comes to around Rs 58,000. As almost all beneficiaries under the SUBHADRA scheme belong to the families of farmers, this indicates the commitment of our government,” asserted CM Majhi.
“It is a matter of great pleasure that 18 lakh farmers have registered under the Samrudha Krushaka Yojana so far this year. I will keep a personal watch to ensure that not a single farmer gets deprived of benefits under the scheme. Because, without the development of farmers, the progress of the state is unlikely,” he further added.
He stated that the small and marginal farmers buy fertiliser, seeds, pesticides and make payment wages to farm labourers using the financial assistance of Rs 2000 at each crop session (annual Rs 4000) received under the CM Kisan scheme.
The landless farmers are provided Rs 12,500 in three instalments for rearing goats, poultry and ducks, bee keeping, mushroom farming and other agriculture related works, etc under the CM Kisan Scheme.
He further stated that several farmer welfare schemes are being implemented in collaboration between the Union and state governments for the protection of crops.
The Chief Minister noted that to make the state self-reliant in potato production, awareness campaigns have been conducted across 3,115 clusters, involving over 36,000 farmers, and nearly 1 lakh beneficiaries have been engaged in potato cultivation.
Last year, across all districts of the state, 1,60,874 quintals of certified potato seeds were distributed, which is three times more than the previous year.
CM Majhi also stated that the government has introduced a Cold Storage Infrastructure Support Scheme in January this year to establish at least one cold storage facility in every sub-division through Public-Private Partnerships.
This is expected to reduce post-harvest losses, ensure fair prices, and generate rural employment.
Further, under the CM Krushi Udyog Yojana, young agri-entrepreneurs are being given subsidies of up to Rs 1 crore for establishing farm-based enterprises. In FY 2024-25 alone, 1,406 projects received subsidies worth Rs 188.34 crore.
–IANS
gyan/rad