MUMBAI: Amid opposition criticism, the Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday decided to bring around five lakh farmers, who were left out of farm loan waiver schemes implemented in 2017 to 2019, under the Punyashlok Ahilya Devi Holkar Shetkari Karjmukti Yojana 2026.
Maharashtra had previously implemented the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Karjmukti Yojana in 2019 as part of its farm debt relief measures.
“The state has made the provision of Rs 14,000 crore for these left-out five lakh farmers. In the years 2017 to 2019, several farmers were eligible, but they were denied the farm loan waiver scheme benefit; these farmers will be included in this current farm loan waiver scheme,” said a cabinet minister, requesting anonymity.
The Punyashlok Alihya Devi Holkar Shetkari Karjmukti Yojana 2026 that will benefit 58 lakh farmers, and the total cost of farm loan waiver to the state exchequer is estimated at Rs 36,585 crore. There are a total of 65 lakh bank-holder farmers who have taken crop loans, while 58 lakh farmers are eligible for the current farm loan waiver.
The opposition has also demanded that while executing the farm loan waiver schemes, the laid-down stringent terms and conditions should be removed because these hurdles will prevent many genuine and eligible farmers from getting the benefit of farm loan waiver.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal said that when the BJP and alliance partners promised the farm loan waiver during the 2024 state polls, that time, they did not say that the farm loan waiver scheme would be implemented with stringent terms and conditions; then farmers would have voted for a different decision.
He further said that Mahayuti is a cheater government, because they also did the same with the Ladki Bahin scheme. “When the Ladki Bahin scheme was initiated, over two crore women were given the benefit of this scheme, but after coming back to power, they have been slashing the numbers each year, and that is halved now. When BJP and its allies needed the votes of the farmers, they made the sweet promise, but after coming back in power they started showing their true colour. We strongly object it and demand that equal benefits should be given to everyone as it was promised,” the Congress leader said.
Facing pressure from the opposition, the Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday decided to extend farm loan waiver benefits to around five lakh farmers who were excluded from earlier loan waiver schemes implemented between 2017 and 2019.
The state government has decided to include these farmers under the Punyashlok Ahilya Devi Holkar Shetkari Karjmukti Yojana 2026. According to a cabinet minister, the government has earmarked Rs 14,000 crore for the additional beneficiaries.
“There are around five lakh farmers who were eligible for loan waiver benefits between 2017 and 2019 but could not avail of them. They will now be covered under the current scheme,” the minister said on condition of anonymity.
The Punyashlok Ahilya Devi Holkar Shetkari Karjmukti Yojana 2026 is expected to benefit 58 lakh farmers and will cost the state exchequer an estimated Rs 36,585 crore. Of the 65 lakh farmers who have availed crop loans from banks, around 58 lakh are currently eligible under the scheme.
The decision comes amid criticism from opposition parties, which have accused the government of imposing stringent eligibility conditions that could prevent many deserving farmers from receiving loan waiver benefits.
The opposition has demanded that the government relax the criteria to ensure that all genuine beneficiaries are covered under the scheme.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal alleged that the BJP and its allies had promised a farm loan waiver ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections without mentioning restrictive conditions.
“When the BJP and its alliance partners promised a farm loan waiver during the 2024 elections, they did not tell farmers that the scheme would come with stringent terms and conditions. Had they done so, farmers might have made a different choice,” Sapkal said.
The state had earlier implemented the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Karjmukti Yojana in 2019 as part of its farm debt relief measures.