Maharashtra’s ₹7.69 lakh crore budget for 2026-27, presented Thursday by CM Devendra Fadnavis, delivers on a core promise with a farmer loan waiver up to ₹2 lakh. Deputy CM Eknath Shinde spotlighted its welfare impact in media briefings.
Dubbed ‘Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karjamaafi Yojana,’ it clears dues till September 30, 2025, easing burdens for lakhs in the state’s vital agriculture sector. Shinde, linking it to his prior commitment, celebrated the tripartite resolve with Fadnavis and late Ajit Pawar.
‘This bold waiver is the relief farmers awaited. Congratulations to them,’ Shinde beamed. He extolled PM Modi’s feats in rocketing India’s economy to third globally, fostering worldwide respect.
Shinde didn’t spare the opposition, calling out their sensationalist jabs at Modi. He advocated a memorial for Pawar, whose contributions merit commemoration, now formalized in the budget.
Party voices amplified the praise: Nilesh Rane for the CM’s just allocations; Yogesh Kadam for the waiver, with nods to Shinde’s role.
Amid fiscal prudence, this farmer-centric measure reinforces Mahayuti’s pro-rural stance, potentially averting distress sales and invigorating agricultural productivity for sustained growth.