Maharashtra loan waiver: 24.7 lakh farmers in three lists, OTS rollout yet to begin

Maharashtra has released three lists covering about 24.7 lakh farmers under the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karj Mukti Yojana 2026, less than half the 56 lakh farmers the state government projected. The One Time Settlement (OTS) part of the crop loan waiver scheme has not started yet.

Crop loans of up to ₹2 lakh are to be waived under the scheme. For the OTS part, farmers whose outstanding dues were above ₹2 lakh as of March 31, 2026 have to clear the amount above ₹2 lakh first to become eligible for the waiver.

Farmer Shankar Kshirsagar of Borgaon Telang village in Nanded district had an outstanding crop loan of ₹2.08 lakh. He allegedly died by suicide in his field after he failed to find his name in the waiver lists. In a video recorded before his death, he said he had got no benefit even after repeated announcements of loan relief.

K B Fiske, Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Nanded, said the OTS rollout has yet to begin. "The names of eligible farmers are uploaded on the portal. However, the lists of beneficiaries are not yet released officially anywhere," he said. Farmer rights activist Jayaji Suryawanshi said the delay in releasing the official lists may push many farmers to the brink. He said farmers with dues below ₹2 lakh are also waiting to check their names in the list, and the state government must sort out the problems at bank level.

A senior revenue department official, who did not want to be named, said the government may first finish the process for farmers with crop loans below ₹2 lakh before rolling out the OTS. The OTS for loans above ₹2 lakh will come step by step after the first phases, but there is no official communication. Opposition parties have said the exercise has been slowed by checks of central tax records to filter out ineligible farmers.