15 June,2026 10:21 AM IST | Pandharpur | mid-day online correspondent
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NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Monday ended his indefinite hunger strike over the Maharashtra government's farm loan waiver scheme after receiving an assurance from state minister Girish Mahajan that the concerns raised by farmers would be discussed with the government before the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature.
Pawar, who represents the Karjat-Jamkhed constituency and is the grandnephew of NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, had launched the agitation in Pandharpur on Friday. He was demanding the removal of what he described as restrictive conditions in the recently announced farm loan waiver scheme and had also called for broader relief measures for farmers.
Mahajan met Pawar in Pandharpur shortly after midnight on Monday and urged him to withdraw the protest. The minister said the state government was willing to examine the concerns raised by farmers and discuss possible changes to the scheme.
According to Mahajan, a meeting will be convened in Mumbai before the start of the monsoon session, where Pawar and farmer representatives will be able to present their concerns. He also said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had assured that the matter would be considered and a positive resolution would be explored.
The monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature is scheduled to begin on June 22.
Responding to the government's assurance, Rohit Pawar said there was little benefit in continuing the agitation if the government was prepared to hold discussions on the issue.
He said extending the protest unnecessarily could deepen political divisions and distract from the interests of farmers. Pawar added that discussions with the government would continue and that efforts would be focused on removing the two conditions in the loan waiver scheme that farmers' groups have objected to.
Before formally ending the fast, Pawar sought the opinion of farmers gathered at the protest site on whether talks with the state government should proceed. The proposal received support from those present.
Following the announcement, Pawar ended his hunger strike in the presence of family members and farmers. He later visited the Vitthal-Rukmini Temple in Pandharpur and broke his fast near the sacred Sant Namdev step, located at the main entrance of the temple complex.
The site is associated with Sant Namdev, the 13th-century saint-poet whose samadhi is believed to be located there.
The Maharashtra cabinet on June 2 approved a farm loan waiver package worth Rs 36,585 crore, which is expected to benefit nearly 56 lakh farmers across the state.
The scheme offers loan waivers of up to Rs 2 lakh and consists of three components - loan waiver, one-time settlement (OTS) and incentive benefits. The government has stated that there will be no landholding criterion for eligibility.
Under the loan waiver component, farmers with outstanding short-term crop loans of up to Rs 2 lakh, including principal and interest, will receive complete debt relief. Eligible loans must have been disbursed between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2025, remained overdue as of September 30, 2025, and remained unpaid until March 31, 2026.
Farmers with outstanding dues exceeding Rs 2 lakh will be covered under the one-time settlement component. Borrowers in this category will be required to repay the amount exceeding Rs 2 lakh to become eligible for a waiver of up to Rs 2 lakh.
The state government has set March 31, 2027, as the deadline for eligible farmers to deposit their share of the outstanding loan amount under the OTS mechanism.
The outcome of the proposed discussions between the government and farmer representatives is likely to be closely watched, as farmer organisations continue to seek modifications to the eligibility conditions of the scheme.
