Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karzmukti Yojana: Big news for farmers! A total of 94,000 farmers who pay income tax have been excluded from the state government’s ambitious Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karzmukti Yojana. Meanwhile, the remaining 16 lakh 94 thousand eligible farmers in this program will see Rs 7,000 crore credited to their crop loan accounts on Tuesday. This will enable these farmers to secure crop loans once more, as per sources from the Cooperative Department.
Meanwhile the Maharashtra government has introduced a new initiative aimed at alleviating the debt burden on the state’s farmers. This initiative is named the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karjmukti Yojana 2026. Through this program, crop loans of up to Rs 2 lakh will be forgiven. The government has already started implementing this scheme and has published the first list of beneficiaries. Let’s dive deeper into the details of this initiative.
How many farmers will benefit and what is the process for receiving the funds?
Around 3.1 million farmers are part of the initial phase of the scheme. Out of these, approximately 1.6 to 1.7 million farmers are currently enjoying the benefits. The government is allocating about ₹36,585 crore for this initiative. So far, a list of 533 farmers from seven districts has been released in this first phase. Farmers whose names are on this list will receive notifications via SMS. They will then need to verify and confirm their Aadhaar card details. The loan waiver amount will be directly credited to the farmer’s loan account through DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer).
How can you check if your name is on the list, and who is ineligible for the benefit?
After receiving this information, many farmers are eager to find out how to check their names on the list. To do this, farmers must register on the AgriStack platform. Additionally, Aadhaar verification can be completed at any of the approximately 32,000 government service centers throughout the state. Moreover, lists of eligible farmers will be displayed at gram panchayats, cooperative societies, and bank branches, making it easy for every farmer to verify their name.
However, not everyone qualifies for this scheme. Current and former MPs and MLAs, government employees, and individuals who earn income from sources other than farming are excluded from this initiative. The government has made it clear that this scheme is intended solely for farmers in need.
Relief in rules, now more farmers will get benefits
This time, the government has also made some changes to the scheme’s rules, allowing more farmers to benefit. Farmers who already benefited from the 2019 Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Farmer Loan Waiver Scheme will also benefit from this new loan waiver of Rs 2 lakh. Previously, such farmers received only up to Rs 50,000 in assistance.