Only 533 farmers in first loan waiver list as Maharashtra awaits I-T data | Mumbai News

July 22, 2026 Headlinesnews

3 min readJul 22, 2026 08:04 PM IST

Only 533 farmers were named in the first list of beneficiaries of the Maharashtra government’s Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar farm loan waiver scheme, which was released on Wednesday.

The remaining beneficiaries would be announced only after the state receives data from the Income Tax Department to identify and exclude tax paying farmers from the scheme, Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil said, while releasing the first list.

On Tuesday, The Indian Express reported that the state had sought details of taxpayer farmers from the Income Tax Department after several income tax paying women were found to have received benefits under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, resulting in a significant financial burden on the government. To avoid a repeat, the government decided to verify the tax status of farmers before finalising the loan waiver list.

Since the Income Tax Department is yet to share the data, the first list has been restricted to 533 farmers who had borrowed from district central cooperative banks. Together, they will receive loan waivers worth Rs 2.99 crore.

“We are following up with the Income Tax Department. As soon as the information is received, the remaining eligible farmers will be included in the lists to be released in phases,” Patil said.

The minister said the first list was released on the occasion of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s birthday and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s birth anniversary. The beneficiaries are from seven districts – Thane (182), Latur (133), Pune (85), Amravati (58), Satara (38), Solapur (21) and Nagpur (16).

The rollout comes even as crop loan disbursal remains sluggish. Government figures show that banks have disbursed only 56 per cent of the targeted Rs 52,822 crore in crop loans for the ongoing kharif season. “We will ensure that farmers who have not been given crop loans because of pending dues are not denied fresh credit after the waiver is completed,” Patil said.

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The government has earmarked Rs 36,585 crore for the scheme, which is expected to benefit 56 lakh farmers.

Of these, around 32 lakh are defaulters and 24 lakh are regular borrowers. Around 2.9 lakh farmers with outstanding loans of more than Rs 2 lakh have been given until March 31, 2027, to repay the excess amount.

The Cabinet has also decided to extend the enhanced Rs 2 lakh waiver to 12 lakh beneficiaries of the 2019 Mahatma Phule loan waiver scheme instead of the earlier incentive of Rs 50,000. This will add Rs 4,395 crore to the scheme’s cost, taking the total outlay to Rs 40,980 crore.

Farmers whose names appeared in the beneficiary lists will have to visit designated service centres for authentication. Those who have not completed their AgriStack registration will have to do so before the waiver amount is credited directly to their loan accounts.

Alok Deshpande is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express’ Mumbai bureau, recognized for his focused and authoritative reporting on governance, politics, and the socio-economic dynamics of Maharashtra’s hinterlands. His unique academic background in Geology and early work in the water sector provides a specialized layer of Expertise to his reporting on resource and environmental issues.
Expertise

Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express, Mumbai.

Core Authority: Alok provides detailed coverage of Maharashtra politics and governance, with a particular emphasis on how policies and power struggles affect the rural and semi-urban areas (the ‘hinterlands’).

Key Coverage Areas: His reports frequently focus on high-stakes administrative and political topics, including:

State Assembly Proceedings: In-depth reporting on the Legislative Assembly, covering ministerial statements, legislative debates, and inter-party conflict within the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

Policy & Finance: Coverage of state finances, including supplementary budget demands, fiscal deficits, and major government schemes (e.g., Jal Jeevan Mission, Ladki Bahin Yojana).

Rural and Social Issues: Reports on critical health issues (e.g., child deaths in districts), human-animal conflict (leopard attacks, stray dogs), and agrarian concerns (e.g., farmer suicides).

Local and Urban Governance: Covers major announcements regarding urban development (e.g., BMC’s OC amnesty scheme, pagdi system push) and local body elections, including political defections and alliance splits.

Unique Credentials & Trustworthiness

Academic Specialization: Holds a Post-graduate degree in Geology. This background gives him a foundational understanding of natural resources, which directly informs his reporting on environment, water, and infrastructure projects.

Early Professional Experience: His shift to journalism came after working with an NGO focused on the water sector. This practical experience strengthens his Expertise in critical areas like water management and rural development, as evidenced by his reporting on the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Journalism Training: An alumnus of the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, confirming his formal training and commitment to rigorous journalistic standards.

Alok Deshpande’s rare combination of scientific education, non-profit sector experience, and deep political reporting makes him a highly trusted and authoritative voice on the governance and ground realities of Maharashtra.
He tweets @alokdesh … Read More

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