Farm loan waiver: new list of 16.96 lakh farmers released, says cooperation minister
Maharashtra has released a fresh list of 16.96 lakh eligible farmers under its loan waiver scheme, with more lists to follow.
A major list has been released under the state government's ambitious "Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Krishak Karjmukti Yojana - 2026". The list includes the names of 16 lakh 96 thousand eligible farmers whose loans will be waived. Cooperation minister Babasaheb Patil said lists of the remaining eligible farmers will also be released soon.
According to Patil, around 56 lakh eligible farmers across the state will benefit from loan waivers under the scheme. He appealed to eligible farmers to register on AgriStack and complete Aadhaar verification as soon as possible so that the benefit is not delayed.
The list of eligible beneficiaries has been uploaded by the concerned banks onto a portal prepared by MahaIT, and the verification process has also been completed. Eligible farmers will be informed via SMS on their registered mobile numbers for Aadhaar verification. In addition, lists of beneficiaries will be put up at gram panchayat offices, various Vividh Karyakari Seva Sahakari Sansthas, and the concerned bank branches.
Every eligible beneficiary will be given a separate identification number. Aadhaar verification will need to be done using the Aadhaar number or this special number. The facility has been made available across the state through around 32,000 "Aapla Sarkar Seva Kendra" centres.
Once registration on AgriStack and Aadhaar verification are complete, the loan waiver amount will be credited to eligible beneficiaries' loan accounts through the DBT system. Cooperation minister Babasaheb Patil said the scheme is not limited to loan waivers alone, but is designed to make farmers financially stronger and give them renewed strength to take up farming.
The Mahayuti government had announced the scheme, giving top priority to farmers' interests. Its main objectives are to reduce the burden of farmers' loans, enable them to farm with renewed enthusiasm, provide economic stability and give new life to the rural economy.
To ensure that no eligible beneficiary is left out of this scheme, which benefits thousands of farmers, on account of conditions, its scope was expanded immediately. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis further widened its scope by announcing some more important improvements to the scheme. The biggest of these is the complete removal of the 50,000 rupee cap for farmers who had already availed benefits under the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Krishak Karjmukti Yojana. Earlier, such farmers were getting only a limited benefit under the new scheme, but with this condition removed, all such eligible farmers will now get the full loan waiver benefit of up to 2 lakh rupees.
