Centre open to 'share' funding for state-level schemes for farmers: Nirmala Sitharaman

In response to specific query from senior parliamentarian and Biju Janata Dal member from Cuttack

Bhartruhari Mahtab, Finance Minister said, "I will have to see as to how it works out".

Seeking clarification during the Budget debate and reply on Wednesday in Lok Sabha, Mr Mahtab had maintained that Telangana was the first State to start a scheme to help farmers called Rythu Bandhu, providing support to the farmers with Rs10,000 per acre, per family.

"The next state was Odisha which started KALIA Scheme. It was for all farmers, not only the land-holding farmers but farm labourers and also share croppers," he has said adding similarly other states such as Jharkhand, West Bengal, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have also started their respective schemes.

"A number of states are conscious of the problems that the farmers are facing. So, they are also coming out with this type of scheme from their own resources," Mr Mahtab has said.

He further has said, "A suggestion was given by Odisha government at the meeting of NITI Aayog. Why should it not be on sharing basis? Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had given this suggestion. Let the union government come with 70 per cent and the state government will provide 30 per cent. Let us make it a cohesive programme where both the Centre and the state can go together for the benefit of farmers".