Devendra Fadnavis 

In a first, the Maharashtra government yesterday announced the biggest ever farm loan waiver - of Rs 34,000 crore - in the country. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the decision would benefit over 90 lakh farmers. The cut-off date for the scheme, named Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Krishi Sanman Yojana, is June 30, 2016.

Now, any farm account holder with a crop loan of up to Rs 1.5 lakh will get complete waiver. Those with dues of over Rs 1.5 lakh will also benefit. The state, however, will follow a separate mechanism. Farmers who service their loans regularly will get a bonus of Rs 25,000, directly credited to their accounts.