Rohit Pawar's indefinite fast to seek removal of conditions from farm loan waiver continues on Day 2

Published 13 June 2026 · india

The indefinite fast being observed by NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar to seek the removal of "stringent" conditions from the Maharashtra Government's recently-announced farm loan

The indefinite fast being observed by NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar to seek the removal of "stringent" conditions from the Maharashtra Government's recently-announced farm loan waiver scheme entered the second day on Saturday (June 13, 2026). Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Pawar said he would not call off his stir until his demand is fulfilled. The NCP (SP) leader launched the stir on Friday (June 12) in the temple town of Pandharpur in Solapur district to press for the demand for a blanket loan waiver for farmers. Through the hunger strike, the legislator from the Karjat-Jamkhed assembly constituency in Ahilyanagar district, aims to escalate pressure on the Devendra Fadnavis-led State government.

On June 2, the Maharashtra cabinet approved a ₹36,585 crore farm loan waiver scheme, which is expected to benefit nearly 56 lakh cultivators. The scheme, 'Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karja-mukti Yojana', provides farm loan waiver of up to ₹2 lakh. The scheme has three components — loan waiver, one-time settlement (OTS) and incentive benefits — and there will be no landholding criterion for eligibility. Under the waiver component, farmers whose total outstanding short-term crop loans, including principal and interest, are up to ₹2 lakh will be eligible for a complete debt relief. The loans must have been disbursed between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2025, remained overdue as of September 30, 2025, and unpaid till March 31, 2026.

The farmers whose dues exceed ₹2 lakh will be covered under the OTS component. Such borrowers will have to clear the amount above ₹2 lakh, after which they will become eligible for a waiver of ₹2 lakh. They have been given time until March 31, 2027, to deposit their share of the outstanding amount. Talking to reporters, Mr. Pawar said, "We are determined. Until the stringent conditions in the farm loan waiver scheme are removed and its benefits are extended to all farmers, I will not withdraw my hunger strike." "The first condition limits the benefit to only up to ₹50,000 for farmers who had availed the 2019 loan waiver scheme.

The second condition makes it mandatory for farmers to repay their crop loans for 2025-26 and 2026-27 in order to receive the incentive subsidy," he said. Due to these two conditions, more than 37 lakh farmers will be excluded from the loan waiver scheme. Therefore, our simple and straightforward demand is to remove these restrictive conditions, Mr. Pawar said. "I will not withdraw the hunger strike till it happens," the MLA added. Rohit Pawar's father Rajendra Pawar visited the site of the indefinite fast to express solidarity.