Prateek Tanmay
2 min readJul 24, 2026 09:54 PM IST
The Maharashtra government on Friday launched the Punyashlok Ahilyabai Holkar Farm Loan Waiver Scheme by writing off the loans of seven farmers and sanctioning them fresh crop loans, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announcing that Rs 13,000 crore will be credited to 17 lakh farmers by July 31.
Launching the scheme in Pandharpur, Fadnavis said the remaining beneficiaries would be covered in the second and third phases after completion of the eligibility verification process.
“Rs 13,000 crore will be credited to 17 lakh farmers in the first phase before July 31. The remaining eligible farmers will receive the benefit after verification. Not a single eligible farmer will be left out,” he said.
The Rs 36,585-crore scheme is expected to benefit 56 lakh farmers across the state, making it Maharashtra’s biggest farm loan waiver programme.
Fadnavis said the verification exercise was necessary to eliminate duplicate entries submitted by banks and ensure that only eligible farmers receive the benefit. The state has also sought details of income tax-paying farmers from the Centre, as income tax assessees, government employees and elected representatives are excluded from the scheme.
The state Cabinet approved the loan waiver on June 2, covering outstanding crop loans of up to Rs 2 lakh.
During the Monsoon Session, the government expanded the scheme to include around 13 lakh farmers who had been left out of the 2019 loan waiver scheme. It also relaxed repayment conditions, making nearly 23 lakh farmers eligible for the Rs 50,000 incentive for regular loan repayment.
