Maharashtra Budget 2026-27 Announces INR 2 Lakh Farm Loan Waiver and Ladki Bahin Support

Farmers and low-income families across Maharashtra are parsing budget fine print after the state government announced a fresh crop loan waiver of up to ₹2 lakh and confirmed continuation of the popular Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin monthly cash support scheme. The announcements, made by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis while presenting the ₹7.69 lakh‑crore Budget 2026‑27, are expected to touch millions of rural and urban households.

While the broad contours of both schemes are now public, many beneficiaries are waiting for operational details such as district‑wise coverage, bank‑level processes and application timelines. The government has indicated that detailed resolutions and updated beneficiary lists will be notified in phases, with departments coordinating with banks and local bodies to implement the measures ahead of the upcoming Kharif season and the next round of Ladki Bahin transfers.

Maharashtra farm loan waiver up to ₹2 lakh: who is covered

At the heart of the rural relief package is the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karjmafi Yojana, under which eligible farmers will receive a waiver of outstanding crop loans up to ₹2 lakh. The scheme covers short‑term crop borrowings that are in arrears as on 30 September 2025, and is designed to clean up legacy debt so farmers can again access fresh institutional credit.

According to budget statements, the waiver package is estimated at around ₹35,000 crore and could benefit close to 50 lakh farmers statewide, including those borrowing from cooperative, nationalised and regional rural banks. Fadnavis has clarified that no lending institution is excluded and that the focus is on small and marginal cultivators who have struggled to regularise crop loans despite multiple rescheduling exercises in recent years.

Eligibility conditions, incentive for timely repayment

Initial guidelines indicate that farmers with overdue crop loans sanctioned up to 30 September 2025 and outstanding within the ₹2 lakh ceiling will qualify, subject to verification of land records and KYC details. Separately, the budget proposes an incentive of ₹50,000 for roughly 20 lakh farmers who have repaid their crop loans on time, signalling that the government wants to reward regular banking behaviour alongside waiving distressed accounts.

Officials have said banks will generate beneficiary lists based on loan ledgers, which will then be cross‑checked with state agriculture and revenue databases before final sanction. A detailed government resolution is expected to spell out cut‑off dates for bank data submission, appeal mechanisms for excluded farmers and timelines for adjusting the waiver amount directly against outstanding balances in loan accounts.

Key Feature	Farm Loan Waiver Scheme
Scheme Name	Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karjmafi Yojana
Maximum Waiver	Up to ₹2 lakh per eligible farmer
Loan Type Covered	Crop loans with arrears
Arrears Cut‑off Date	30 September 2025
Estimated Beneficiaries	About 50 lakh farmers
Estimated Cost	Around ₹35,000 crore

Ladki Bahin cash support to continue amid tighter scrutiny

Alongside farm relief, the budget confirms that the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana will continue with an outlay broadly similar to last year, though the promised increase in monthly assistance from ₹1,500 to ₹2,100 has not been provided for yet. The scheme offers direct benefit transfers to women aged roughly 21 to 65 years from families with annual income below ₹2.5 lakh.

Officials have shifted budgetary provisioning for Ladki Bahin across different heads, but clarified that total funds of around ₹36,000 crore remain available, subject to utilisation. In parallel, the government has tightened Aadhaar‑based e‑KYC and annual re‑verification after audits flagged lakhs of ineligible or duplicate beneficiaries, including a small number of men who had received transfers erroneously under the women‑only scheme.

What beneficiaries should watch for next

Women already enrolled under Ladki Bahin have been advised to ensure that e‑KYC is completed and bank accounts remain active, as instalments are being staggered and some districts report temporary holds pending data clean‑up. In Beed, for instance, authorities recently flagged over two lakh beneficiaries as ineligible, though applications with technical errors can be corrected until 31 March 2026.

For both farmers and women beneficiaries, the coming weeks will hinge on release of government resolutions, district‑wise eligibility lists and bank‑level operating guidelines. With Maharashtra’s debt projected to cross ₹11 lakh crore in 2026‑27, economists are likely to scrutinise how the state balances welfare commitments with fiscal sustainability even as households focus on whether waivers and cash support reach their accounts on schedule.