Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: As drought tightens its grip on Marathwada, uncertainty over Maharashtra’s farm loan waiver scheme and delays in releasing beneficiary lists under its One Time Settlement (OTS) component are adding to farmers’ distress, with the alleged suicide of a Nanded farmer bringing the issue into sharp focus.
Under the scheme, farmers whose outstanding dues exceeded Rs 2 lakh as of March 31, 2026, must first clear the amount above Rs 2 lakh before becoming eligible for the waiver. “Forget Rs 2 lakh outstanding dues, even those farmers who have dues less than Rs 2 lakh are awaiting their names in the lists. A senior revenue department official said govt may first complete the process for farmers with crop loans below Rs 2 lakh before rolling out the OTS component. “The OTS scheme for loans above Rs 2 lakh is scheduled to be rolled out sequentially after the first phases.
However, even months after the scheme was announced, many farmers say they still do not know whether they qualify. However, the lists of beneficiaries are not yet released officially anywhere,” he said.
“The inordinate delay in releasing official lists of farmers eligible for the loan waiver scheme may push many farmers to the brink,” said activist Jayaji Suryawanshi. There is, however, no official communication,” the official said on condition of anonymity. The problem is most acute for farmers covered under the OTS component. “The names of eligible farmers are uploaded on the portal. Farmer rights activists say the delay is creating anxiety in villages already reeling from crop losses, debt and water scarcity. State govt must take serious cognisance and address bottlenecks and red-tapism even at the level of banks,” he added.
Opposition parties have alleged that the exercise has been slowed by efforts to verify central tax records and filter out ineligible beneficiaries.