Overview
- Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told a press conference on Thursday that the state will complete the farm loan waiver for all eligible farmers by June 30 to clear the way for kharif-season credit.
- The government ordered nationalised banks to meet at least 80 percent of crop-loan disbursal targets and explicitly banned using CIBIL scores to deny agricultural loans, with Reserve Bank of India officials present at the meeting.
- Fadnavis said farmers who receive the waiver will remain eligible for the next crop-loan cycle, a move intended to ensure they can obtain fresh credit for sowing.
- Facing forecasts of below-normal rainfall linked to possible El Niño conditions, Maharashtra has sped up Jalyukt Shivar water-conservation works, launched the Mahavistar AI crop-advice app, and ordered videography and tighter monitoring to curb fertiliser diversion.
- Local enforcement tensions continued this week when Mumbai police arrested 16 people after clashes at a Bandra East anti-encroachment drive; the waiver deadline follows weeks of uncertainty that had left farmers and banks unclear about timing and could materially affect credit flows ahead of the sowing window.