Maharashtra cabinet approves soft loans for sugar mills, land return in Haregaon
Maharashtra cabinet clears seven decisions including soft loans for cane farmers and sugar mills and return of Haregaon land to original owners.
The Maharashtra state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, met on September 15 and took seven major decisions concerning farmers, the sugar industry, local self-government bodies and the evaluation of government schemes. The biggest relief went to sugarcane growers and cooperative sugar mills.
Given the financial difficulties facing sugar mills, the government has decided to give soft loans to cooperative sugar mills. The loan will be given to mills to clear the outstanding Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for the 2025-26 crushing season and for the upcoming 2026-27 crushing season. This is expected to make it easier for cane farmers to receive their outstanding FRP.
The cabinet also approved setting up the "Maharashtra Technical Assistance Cell", or "Maha-TAC", to analyse and evaluate 25 major state government policies and 25 key public welfare schemes. This evaluation will be carried out based on recommendations from IIM Mumbai and CRISP.
In another major relief for farmers, the cabinet decided to return land at Haregaon in Shrirampur taluka of Ahilyanagar district, currently held by the Maharashtra State Farming Corporation, to the original owner farmers. An amendment to the Maharashtra Agricultural Lands (Ceiling on Holdings) Act, 1961 was approved for this purpose.
The cabinet also approved a stamp duty exemption on the lease agreement for the Nashik branch of the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad, made for a study room and reading room. The Arvi Municipal Council in Wardha district was also allotted 6,240.30 square metres of government land free of cost to build a trade complex.
The meeting also approved amendments to the Maharashtra Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Industrial Townships Act, 1965. In addition, the cabinet approved the creation of four new posts for the office of the chairman of the Mumbai Police Housing Township Project and the associated expenditure.
Overall, Tuesday's cabinet meeting took several important decisions ranging from relief for farmers and the sugar industry to the evaluation of government schemes.
