The Maharashtra government on 22 July 2026 officially launched the ₹36,585 crore 'Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Farmer Loan Waiver Scheme 2026', extending debt relief of up to ₹2 lakh to approximately 56 lakh eligible farmer families across the state. The scheme, one of the largest farm-relief initiatives in Maharashtra's recent history, was unveiled at a state-level press conference in Mumbai by Minister for Co-operation Babasaheb Patil.

Scheme Background and Cabinet Approval

The loan waiver was formally approved during a Cabinet meeting on 2 June 2026, with eligibility criteria subsequently revised through a Government Resolution (GR) issued on 15 July 2026. The initiative is being implemented under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar.

Minister Patil noted that the representative beneficiary list was released to coincide with the birthday of Chief Minister Fadnavis and the birth anniversary of the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. In its first phase, a representative list covering 532 eligible beneficiaries across seven districts has been published.

Banking Infrastructure and Eligibility Process

To operationalise the scheme, 53 banks — comprising 30 District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs), 12 nationalised banks, and several private banks — uploaded farmer loan account details onto a dedicated portal developed by MahaIT. All DCCB loan accounts were audited by Co-operation Department officials before the final eligible list was prepared through digital analysis.

The scheme excludes a defined set of applicants: former and sitting public representatives, office bearers of local self-government bodies, government and semi-government employees, taxpayers with non-agricultural income, and office bearers or employees of cooperative institutions such as DCCBs, urban cooperative banks, sugar factories, spinning mills, dairy unions, and agricultural produce market committees.

How Farmers Will Receive Relief

Eligible farmers will receive SMS notifications on their registered mobile numbers for Aadhaar authentication. Beneficiary lists will also be accessible at local Gram Panchayats, Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), and respective bank branches. Each beneficiary will be assigned a unique identification number, and authentication can be completed using either the Aadhaar number or this ID.

The service is available across approximately 32,000 Aaple Sarkar Seva Kendras statewide. Prior registration on the AgriStack platform is mandatory. Upon successful Aadhaar authentication, the relief amount will be directly deposited into beneficiaries' loan accounts via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Timeline and Implementation

The process for eligible beneficiaries across all DCCBs is scheduled for completion by 31 July 2026, after which disbursements for commercial bank accounts will commence. Minister Patil commended Co-operation Department Secretary Pravin Darade, Co-operation Commissioner Deepak Taware, and the broader department machinery for district-level coordination that enabled the scheme's swift rollout.

The minister emphasised that the scheme goes beyond debt relief, aiming to reduce financial strain on farmers and empower them to resume agricultural activity. With disbursements tied to Aadhaar-verified DBT, the state government says it intends to ensure direct, leakage-free delivery to beneficiaries.