Maharashtra govt to take final decision on farm loan waiver, says Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has said the state government will take a final decision on the proposed farm loan waiver by June 30 2026 reported news agency ANISpeaking at an event organised by the Chatrapati Sugar Cooperative Factory in Baramati Pawar said the government had honoured its manifesto promise but added that such waivers would not be repeated frequently The state deputy Minister emphasised the need for financial discipline among farmersThere was also a discussion about the loan waiver A loan waiver will happen but it will be decided on 30 June 2026 because after the new financial year begins the government will come under a very heavy additional burden All of us have discussed this In a latenight meeting I Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Eknath Shinde Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne Bachchu Kadu and other leaders were present Since we had promised this in our manifesto it is being done but it will not happen again and again You also need to maintain financial discipline In our PDCC Bank those who complete their loan repayment are given loans at zero interest so your situation is better compared to others This should also be kept in mind We do not want to do politics on this Pawar said reported ANIAjit Pawars comment came after former MLA Bachchu Kadu led a massive protest for farm loan waiver and blocked a highway in Nagpur forcing the Maharashtra government to announce the loan waiver plan and set up a committee to discuss ways to pull farmers out of a debt trapEarlier Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that farmers loans in the state would be waived by June 30 2026 based on a report to be submitted by a committee formed by the governmentCM Fadnavis stated that this step is being taken by his government in accordance with the promise made in the poll manifesto during the previous electionOur Maharashtra government stated in its manifesto that it would waive farmers loans We have made a decision on this today We have formed a committee to prepare a report on how to waive loans and the criteria for doing so It will review this and submit the report to us by April 1st After that within three months that is before June 30th we will waive farmers loans based on that report the Chief Minister told reporters on Thursday as per ANIThe Mahayuti had made a prepoll promise during the Maharashtra assembly elections in 2024 of giving a loan waiver to farmersWith inputs from ANI