Mumbai, February 27: The Maharashtra government remains committed to easing the debt burden on farmers, but the high-level committee formed for this purpose has yet to submit its final report. Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil provided this update in the state assembly on Friday, responding to queries from Shiv Sena-UBT leader Bhaskar Jadhav and BJP’s Prashant Thakur.
Appointed on October 30, 2025, the committee is tasked with crafting both immediate relief measures and long-term strategies for farmer debt relief. Patil revealed that it is currently scrutinizing bank data on agricultural loans up to June 2025, outstanding dues until September 30, 2025, and records of farmers who have consistently repaid loans over the past five years.
Out of an estimated 54.63 lakh loan accounts, data for 52.80 lakh has been collected and is now undergoing computer processing and analysis. This massive exercise aims to ensure transparency and accuracy in identifying eligible beneficiaries.
Patil highlighted the status of previous initiatives. Under the 2017 loan waiver scheme, 44.04 lakh out of 50.60 lakh eligible farmers have received benefits, leaving 6.56 lakh still awaiting relief. The process for these remaining farmers is actively progressing.
The Mahatma Phule Scheme has incentivized timely repayments, with 14.50 lakh farmers receiving grants after Aadhaar verification. Addressing recent challenges from heavy rains and floods during the 2025 Kharif season, the government has directed the State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) and district banks to restructure cooperative crop loans in affected areas. Additionally, recovery of agricultural loans for distressed farmers has been suspended for one year to provide immediate respite.
Dismissing allegations of fund shortages, Patil noted that on December 3, 2025, the computer system for continuing the 2017 scheme was approved. During the 2025 winter session, Rs 500 crore was sanctioned, and for the 2026-27 fiscal year, a budget request of Rs 5,175.51 crore has been made to sustain these welfare programs.
This comes a day after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured the assembly that the dedicated committee’s report is awaited, promising fulfillment of commitments at the appropriate time. Fadnavis emphasized lessons from past waivers, particularly banking irregularities where banks reactivated dormant accounts or provided faulty data to siphon government funds.
To combat such fraud, the state is developing a comprehensive ‘Krishi-Sangrah’ digital system. This will integrate farmer registration, land records, 7/12 extracts, and Aadhaar-linked verification, creating a robust agricultural database for future transparency.