Mumbai, May 21 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said banks have been asked not to link the sanction for crop loans to farmers' CIBIL scores.

Speaking after a meeting to review preparedness for the coming kharif crop season, he also warned of strict action against fertiliser dealers forcing farmers to buy additional products.

"Every bank has been told, from the headquarters to the branch level, that crop loans should not be linked to CIBIL conditions. RBI officials have also confirmed this. No farmer should face harassment because of CIBIL score issues," Fadnavis said.

A CIBIL score is used by financial institutions to gauge a person's creditworthiness.

Issues related to farm loan waivers and agricultural credit were discussed during the meeting, Fadnavis said.

The government would implement the promised farm loan waiver scheme soon, he said, adding, "We will waive these loans. Discussions have already taken place in the cabinet, and once data from the remaining districts comes in, the loan waiver will be implemented before June 30." Maharashtra's kharif cultivation area is around 152 lakh hectares, with soybean and cotton accounting for nearly 88 lakh hectares. The government is gearing up for a potentially difficult monsoon season, the chief minister noted.

"The rainfall estimate is around 88 per cent of the long-term average. But rainfall distribution may vary across regions, especially in parts of West Vidarbha, Marathwada and North Maharashtra, where the intensity of the situation could be higher," he warned.

The preliminary forecast suggested that rainfall could decline progressively from June to September, increasing the possibility of long dry spells between rainy periods and causing crop stress, Fadnavis said.

To tackle the situation, the government has directed speedy implementation of Jal Yukta Shivar works to conserve rainwater and provide protective irrigation wherever possible, he said.

District administrations have been asked to prepare contingency plans and ensure availability of resilient seed varieties suited to changing weather conditions.

Adequate stocks of soybean, cotton, maize, paddy, tur and bajra seeds are available and the government will ensure supply of certified seeds, the CM said.

The state has also planned fertiliser supply of around 48 lakh metric tonnes, he said, while warning against "linking" practices by fertiliser dealers.

"If a farmer wants DAP, he should not be forced to buy four other products. If he wants urea, he should not be compelled to purchase additional items. We have adopted a very strict policy against this," he said.

The licenses of more than 400 fertiliser dealers were suspended or cancelled over such violations, he added.

The chief minister on this occasion also launched digital agriculture initiatives, including the "Mahavistar 2.0" app which uses AI to provide farmers information on cropping patterns, pest control, weather forecasts and crop prices in local languages.

Farmers would also be able to upload crop photographs through the "Cropsap" platform to get information about crop health, pest attacks and required treatment measures, the CM said.

The government has also launched a digital crop survey system allowing farmers to upload crop details directly through mobile phones, which would help improve accuracy in crop insurance records and claims, he said.

Farmers in remote and hilly areas facing connectivity issues would be able to upload crop-related photographs later once network access becomes available, Fadnavis said.

The state has launched a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)-based payment mechanism under which money from government schemes would directly reach a farmer's digital wallet and payments to vendors would be processed only after actual purchases are made, the CM said.

"Through QR code-based traceability, buyers will be able to track where a product was grown, including the village and farm, and all certification details will also be digitally available," he said.

Maharashtra has made significant progress in agricultural exports, Fadnavis said, claiming the state accounts for 94 per cent of the country's grape exports, 86 per cent of banana exports and 85 per cent of onion exports.

He also highlighted the scale of direct benefit transfers through MahaDBT.

"In 2025-26, assistance worth Rs 91,659.50 crore has been distributed through MahaDBT, benefiting farmers on a large scale," he said. PTI MR KRK