Maharashtra rolls out farmer loan waiver; first 500 beneficiaries named
The Maharashtra government on Wednesday (July 23, 2025) initiated the rollout of the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karjamukti scheme, announcing the first 500 beneficiaries from six districts. The announcement coincides with the birth anniversary of late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
According to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office, the selected beneficiaries will receive SMS notifications on their mobile phones for Aadhaar authentication. The lists of eligible farmers will be displayed at Gram Panchayat offices, cooperative society offices, and relevant bank branches across the state.
The loan waiver scheme was first announced on June 2, 2025, with criteria partially revised on July 15. For implementation, 53 banks—including 30 District Central Cooperative Banks, 12 nationalised banks, and private banks—have uploaded farmer loan account details on a portal developed by MahaIT. The information from District Central Cooperative Banks has been verified by auditors of the Cooperative Department, as per the state Agriculture Department.
The Potential Linked Plan for crop credit provision, prepared by NABARD for 2026-27, is valued at ₹95,373 crore. The District Credit Plan compiled by the State Level Bankers' Committee sets a crop loan target of ₹75,449 crore for the state. Of this, ₹52,822 crore is earmarked for Kharif loans and ₹22,627 crore for Rabi loans, aiming to provide loans to 64 lakh farmers this year.
The bank-wise allocation is: ₹26,865 crore for District Central Cooperative Banks, ₹33,588 crore for Public Sector Banks, ₹9,923 crore for Private and Microfinance Banks, and ₹5,073 crore for Rural Banks.
The authentication process for eligible beneficiaries of all District Central Cooperative Banks must be completed by July 31. Subsequently, the benefit transfer will begin for eligible beneficiaries of commercial banks.
