Maharashtra Farm Loan Waiver 2026: ₹2 Lakh Debt Relief Begins as First List of 533 Beneficiaries Released

The Maharashtra government has started implementing its ₹36,585-crore Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karjmukti Yojana 2026, marking the first phase of one of the state's largest farm loan waiver programmes. As part of the rollout, the government has released a representative list of 533 eligible beneficiaries from seven districts.

The scheme, approved by the state Cabinet on June 2, aims to provide farm loan waivers of up to ₹2 lakh to nearly 56 lakh eligible farmer families across Maharashtra. The government also revised certain eligibility norms through a Government Resolution (GR) issued on July 15 to expand the scheme's coverage.

First Beneficiary List Released: What Farmers Should Do

According to the Maharashtra Co-operation Department, eligible farmers will receive SMS notifications asking them to complete Aadhaar authentication before the loan waiver is processed.

Beneficiaries must first register on the Agristack platform and then complete Aadhaar authentication using either their Aadhaar number or a unique beneficiary ID. The authentication facility is available through nearly 32,000 Aaple Sarkar Seva Kendras across the state.

Once the verification process is completed, the eligible loan waiver amount will be transferred directly to the farmer's loan account through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.

Who is Eligible and Who is Excluded?

The scheme is being implemented through a dedicated MahaIT portal using loan data submitted by 53 banks, including district central cooperative banks, nationalised banks and private banks.

However, several categories have been excluded from the scheme, including:

• Former and current MPs and MLAs
• Serving and retired government and semi-government employees
• Income tax payers with non-agricultural income
• Office-bearers and employees of cooperative banks, sugar factories, milk unions, agricultural produce market committees and certain local bodies

Eligibility Rules Relaxed

To widen the scheme's reach, the Maharashtra government has relaxed some eligibility conditions.

Farmers covered under the 2019 Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Farm Loan Waiver Scheme are now eligible for a loan waiver of up to ₹2 lakh, replacing the earlier ₹50,000 incentive for timely repayment.

Additionally, instead of requiring repayment during 2026-27, farmers who repaid crop loans in any two previous years will now qualify for the incentive.

Read more: ₹16,600 Crore Still Unclaimed: Check How to Recover Your Money from Inactive EPF Accounts or LIC Policies.

Conclusion

With the release of the first beneficiary list, the Maharashtra government has begun the rollout of its ambitious farm loan waiver programme. Eligible farmers should complete their Agristack registration and Aadhaar authentication promptly to receive the benefit. As the scheme expands across districts and banks, millions of farmer families are expected to benefit from debt relief of up to ₹2 lakh.

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