Pune (Maharashtra), July 29: Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne on Wednesday assured farmers that all eligible beneficiaries under the state’s crop loan waiver scheme will receive the promised relief and urged them not to worry about the implementation process.
Speaking to reporters in Pune, Bharne said the government is currently focusing on farmers eligible for waiver of crop loans up to ₹2 lakh, before extending benefits to 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.
He warned that strict action would be taken against any nationalised bank found providing incorrect information or misleading farmers regarding the scheme.
The minister said nearly 31 lakh farmers are included in the first phase of the scheme, with benefits currently being processed for around 16-17 lakh farmers.
He added that nearly five lakh farmers have completed the mandatory e-KYC process, allowing the government to release funds without delays.
According to Bharne, the number of farmers completing e-KYC is increasing daily as technical issues and confusion regarding the portal are being resolved.
Bharne said the government will first complete payments to farmers with outstanding crop loans of up to ₹2 lakh. After this, beneficiaries under the OTS scheme for loans above ₹2 lakh and farmers eligible for the ₹50,000 incentive for regular loan repayment will be taken up.
The minister said the government’s priority is to complete the first phase before moving on to the remaining categories.
Responding to allegations of discrepancies in beneficiary lists, Bharne reiterated that no farmer with a crop loan of up to ₹2 lakh would have to pay anything and errors, if any, would be corrected.
He said the state government aims to cover 56 lakh farmers under the ₹40,000 crore crop loan waiver scheme.
Earlier this month, the state cabinet approved changes to the scheme, removing key eligibility restrictions, including the earlier ₹50,000 limit under the 2019 loan waiver scheme. The revised policy allows eligible farmers to receive loan waiver benefits of up to ₹2 lakh.
Bharne also highlighted the role of technology in improving agriculture, saying farmers adopting AI-based applications and modern farming practices could increase production and gain better access to markets.
He expressed confidence that farm incomes would improve in the coming years with greater use of technology and innovation.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
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