Maharashtra Chief Minister to Lead Committee Reviewing Farm Loan Waiver Eligibility
The Maharashtra government has formed a committee chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to review the eligibility criteria of its farm loan waiver scheme, known as the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karjmukti Yojana, 2026. The decision follows criticism that the scheme may exclude many distressed farmers.
A government resolution issued on Wednesday stated that the committee's primary objective is to ensure that eligible farmers receive their benefits without delay and that the scheme is implemented transparently. The committee, a Cabinet Sub-Committee, will propose changes to the eligibility criteria.
Reports earlier indicated that the scheme's eligibility restrictions could result in government expenditure lower than the projected Rs 36,585 crore. The Cabinet sub-committee includes two Deputy Chief Ministers and ministers for Revenue, Medical Education, Agriculture, and Cooperation. The Principal Secretary of the Cooperation Department will serve as member secretary.
Two additional committees have been set up. One, under the Chief Secretary, will amend the scheme's guidelines for transparent implementation and coordinate with departments. Its members include the Chief Minister's chief economic adviser and administrative heads of Finance, Cooperation, Agriculture, and Electronics and IT departments. The Cooperation Commissioner will be its member secretary.
The third committee, headed by the Additional Chief Secretary (Finance), will negotiate with banks to determine the proportion of loan waiver and concessions under a one-time settlement for farmers' loans, including non-performing assets held with nationalized, private, and regional rural banks.
The Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar scheme, approved by the state cabinet on June 2, has faced opposition from political parties and farmer organizations over its eligibility conditions. Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar staged a hunger strike in protest, and farmer groups have been demanding a rollback of the criteria.
