Maharashtra’s push for farmer debt relief hits a procedural pause, with the high-powered committee’s report still pending. Minister Babasaheb Patil laid out the progress Friday in the assembly, addressing concerns raised by Shiv Sena-UBT’s Bhaskar Jadhav and BJP’s Prashant Thakur.
Launched October 30, 2025, the group is devising urgent and enduring solutions. It’s now poring over bank records: ag loans to June 2025, defaults to September 30, and five-year repayment patterns. Data from 52.80 lakh of 54.63 lakh accounts is processed via sophisticated software, ensuring no stone—or account—is left unturned.
Reflecting on the 2017 waiver, Patil noted 44.04 lakh beneficiaries out of 50.60 lakh eligibles, with processes underway for the remaining 6.56 lakh. The Mahatma Phule Scheme shines brighter, granting incentives to 14.50 lakh punctual repayers post-Aadhaar validation.
Kharif 2025’s deluges triggered emergency measures: SLBC and district banks ordered to reorganize loans in flood-hit regions, alongside a year-long halt on collections from struggling farmers.
Countering fund delay accusations, Patil highlighted December 3, 2025, IT system nod for 2017 scheme continuity, winter session’s Rs 500 crore allocation, and 2026-27’s Rs 5,175.51 crore budget ask.
Echoing Fadnavis’s Thursday speech on governor’s address, the CM stressed studying past waivers’ pitfalls—banks fudging data, reviving ghost accounts for embezzlement. His solution: ‘Krishi-Sangrah,’ a state-of-the-art digital repository fusing farmer IDs, 7/12 records, land titles, and Aadhaar for impeccable verification.
This methodical scrutiny promises not just relief, but reform, positioning Maharashtra to deliver accountable aid that withstands scrutiny and safeguards public money.