Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, directed finance companies to immediately stop harassing farmers over loan recovery as the state reels under severe drought conditions. The directive, issued from Pune district, covers vehicle loans and all other categories of credit extended to the farming community.

Minister's Directive and Its Context

'Farmers have suffered devastating losses right in their fields. Considering their financial distress, finance companies must not harass farmers for the recovery of loans for vehicles or any other nature,' Minister Bharane said in his directives.

The minister was speaking after visiting the residence of farmer Hanumant Lawand at Lawand Vasti in Ghorpadwadi, Pune district, where he celebrated Diwali with a farming family. During the visit, he inspected livestock and goat sheds, sampled traditional Diwali snacks, and held direct conversations with local farmers — a ground-level engagement aimed at assessing drought impact firsthand.

Buldhana Case and Centre's Role

Bharane noted that the state government has already taken action against aggressive loan recovery tactics deployed by finance companies targeting farmers' vehicles in Buldhana district. Meetings on the issue have been held with Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Since finance companies fall under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Union government, Chief Minister Fadnavis will hold discussions with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to work out an appropriate resolution, the minister clarified. This federal dimension underscores the limits of state-level action — and why a central push is being sought.

Advance Drought Relief: ₹4,372 Crore Disbursed

On drought relief, Bharane said that crop damage assessment panchnamas are being conducted on a war footing. As a result, advance assistance of ₹4,372 crore — at ₹5,000 per farmer — has already been disbursed to 87,45,000 farmers. The remaining eligible farmers are expected to receive their aid within the next two to three days, he added.

The minister underlined that this is only advance assistance, and the state government intends to extend further support as damage assessments are finalised. He also noted that the Union government has significantly increased NDRF (National Disaster Response Fund) assistance norms, which will additionally benefit affected farmers.

Loan Waivers, Water Demand, and Other Relief Measures

On the loan waiver front, Bharane said that ₹18,040 crore in loan waivers has been granted across four phases to 20,72,250 farmers. Documentation for loans up to ₹2 lakh is currently underway, and farmers who repay loans regularly are being offered an incentive of ₹50,000.

Responding to farmers' demands for the release of water from the Nira river and its canal network, the minister called the demand reasonable and said an outcome in the best interest of farmers would be worked out through discussions with Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil. Additional relief is being delivered through farm ponds, silt removal drives, free seeds, and electricity bill concessions.

With the central government set to engage on the finance company issue, and further drought disbursements imminent, the pressure on Maharashtra's agricultural administration to deliver tangible relief before the rabi sowing season peaks is only set to intensify.