Maharashtra Minister: Crop Loan Waiver for All Eligible Farmers

Pune, Jul 29 (PTI) Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne on Wednesday assured farmers that they need not worry about the implementation of the state's crop loan waiver scheme, asserting that all eligible beneficiaries would receive the promised relief.



Speaking to reporters in Pune, Bharne said the government was prioritising farmers eligible for waiver of crop loans up to Rs 2 lakh before taking up beneficiaries under the one-time settlement (OTS) scheme and the incentive scheme for regular loan repayment.



"I want to tell my farmer brothers that they should not worry at all. Even if the amount credited by the government to the loan account appears lower initially, the remaining eligible amount will be borne by the nationalised banks as per the understanding reached with them," Bharne said.



"If any nationalised bank provides incorrect information or misleads farmers, the government will take immediate action against it," he added.



Nearly 31 lakh farmers figure in the first phase of the scheme, of whom benefits are currently being processed for nearly 16-17 lakh farmers, the minister informed.



He said around five lakh farmers have already completed the mandatory e-KYC process, enabling the government to release funds to them without any hurdle.




"The number of farmers completing e-KYC is increasing every day as technical issues and misconceptions regarding the portal are being resolved," Bharne noted.



He said the government would first complete disbursement to farmers with outstanding crop loans of up to Rs 2 lakh, followed by beneficiaries under the OTS scheme involving loans above Rs 2 lakh and then farmers eligible for the Rs 50,000 incentive for regular loan repayment.



Asked about a timeline, the minister said the priority was to complete the first phase before moving to the remaining categories.



He further expressed confidence that farm incomes would improve in the coming years with the adoption of modern technologies.



"If farmers adopt new technologies, including AI-based applications and modern farming practices, agricultural production will increase and they will also get better market access," he emphasised.

With some farmers alleging discrepancies in the beneficiary lists of the crop loan waiver scheme, Bharne on Tuesday assured that no cultivator with a loan of up to Rs 2 lakh would have to pay anything, and errors would be rectified.

He reiterated the state's goal to cover 56 lakh farmers under the Rs 40,000 crore scheme.

Earlier this month, the state cabinet approved significant changes to the loan waiver scheme, removing key eligibility conditions, including the previous Rs 50,000 upper limit applicable for the beneficiaries of the 2019 waiver.

The change would enable these farmers to avail loan waiver benefits of up to Rs 2 lakh under the new scheme.