Farmers across 23 Maharashtra districts demand ₹2 lakh incentive for regular loan repayment
Hundreds of farmers across 23 districts of Maharashtra took part in a statewide Jail Bharo agitation on Monday (August 10, 2026), demanding a ₹2 lakh incentive grant for those who repaid loans regularly. The protest, led by the Kisan Sabha, also called for restoration of crop-insurance triggers and land rights for farmers cultivating forest, Devasthan, Gairan, and Varkas land.
Speaking at the protest, Dr. Ajit Navale, an All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) leader, said, “Farmers want to know if it is sinful to pay loans regularly. The government should take note and provide a relief of ₹2 lakh to these borrowers.”
The agitation comes three months after the Maharashtra government announced the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karzmukti scheme. Under this scheme, farmers who paid EMIs regularly were promised an incentive of ₹50,000, alongside a loan waiver of up to ₹2 lakh. Farmers believe the incentive is inadequate and have demanded it be raised to ₹2 lakh. In July, the state government rolled out the scheme and listed the first 500 eligible beneficiaries from six districts. The scheme is expected to benefit 56 lakh farmers and waive ₹36,585 crore in loans.
In addition to the incentive, the farmers demanded that the government stop evictions from temple land and transfer ownership of such land to those cultivating it. Memorandums detailing these demands were submitted to district collectors in all 23 districts, including Thane-Palghar, Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Sangli, Kolhapur, Satara, Pune, Beed, Parbhani, Nanded, Wardha, Yavatmal, Amravati, Buldhana, and Nandurbar.
Dr. Navale warned that if the government does not respond to the protest, an indefinite statewide Mahukkam (sit-in) would be launched from the residence of State Agriculture Minister Dattatreya Bharne on August 20.
The movement was led by prominent AIKS figures including Dr. Ashok Dhawale, J.P. Gavit, Dr. Ajit Navale, Umesh Deshmukh, MLA Vinod Nikolay, Kiran Gehla, Irfan Sheikh, Subhash Chaudhary, Uddhav Paul, Ajay Burande, Dr. Amol Waghmare, Sadashiv Sable, Yashwant Zade, Arjun Aade, Shankar Sidam, Kumar Moharampuri, and Manik Aade.
The Jail Bharo agitation is a form of protest in which demonstrators deliberately court arrest to press their demands. Observers note that the scale of participation across 23 districts underscores the significance of the issue for the farming community in Maharashtra.
