Mumbai, Jun 29 (PTI) The Maharashtra government on Monday told the assembly disbursement of benefits under its farm loan waiver scheme will commence from July 5, over a month after it was cleared by the cabinet, and assured no eligible cultivator will be left out of the relief measure.

Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane said the mandatory requirement of an Agristack Farmer ID (a unique digital identity generated for each cultivator) to avail the benefits will stay.

The Rs 36,585 crore farm loan waiver scheme, Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karjmukti Yojana, was cleared by the cabinet in early June.

Replying to a debate on supplementary demands for the agriculture department, Bharane said the government had initially planned to roll out the loan waiver scheme before June 30.

However, the disbursement was delayed as the financial allocation for the scheme was made through supplementary demands, he maintained.

"After the supplementary demands are passed by the legislature, they will require the Governor's assent. Once the Governor approves them, the loan waiver amount will be credited to farmers' bank accounts from July 5 onwards," the minister stated.

The government estimates that around 56 lakh farmers will benefit from the scheme, which provides farm loan waiver of up to Rs 2 lakh.

Several legislators have sought modifications to the eligibility criteria and conditions attached to the scheme. Bharane said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had assured the House that a sub-committee would examine the suggestions and take an appropriate decision.

Addressing concerns over the mandatory Agristack Farmer ID, the minister said the Centre had made the ID compulsory for availing benefits under agricultural schemes.

He informed the House Maharashtra has about 17.1 million registered farmers, of whom 13.4 million have already obtained the ID.

Bharane appealed to elected representatives to encourage farmers in their constituencies to complete the registration process, while reiterating the government would ensure no eligible agriculturist is deprived of the loan waiver benefits. PTI MR RSY

Farm loan waiver rollout begins with mandatory Agristack Farmer ID and assured coverage for eligible cultivators. Farm loan waiver benefits under the Maharashtra government's Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karjmukti Yojana are scheduled to begin disbursement from July 5, after the scheme's financial allocation is completed through supplementary demands and receives the required approval. The scheme provides loan waiver relief up to the prescribed ceiling, with the government assuring that no eligible agriculturist will be excluded from the benefit. The Agristack Farmer ID remains a mandatory eligibility requirement.