Maharashtra’s loan waiver for farmers announced on Tuesday is the biggest so far for the state, amounting to Rs 36,585 crore. However, the Opposition has claimed that the figure hides the fine print – that stringent qualification conditions mean a lot of farmers will fall out of its umbrella.
The Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar farm loan waiver scheme will be enforced from June 20, with 55.72 lakh farmers out of the total 1.7 crore – including land holders, cultivators etc – expected to benefit from it. It is applicable to crop loans taken between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2025, with those who have arrears as of September 30, 2025, eligible for a waiver of up to Rs 2 lakh.
Farmers regular with repayments since the last loan…