Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has directed nationalised banks, cooperative banks and microfinance institutions to avoid coercive loan recovery from farmers facing drought conditions, while asking the Nashik administration to ensure the timely delivery of financial assistance, drinking water and cattle fodder.
Shinde issued the instructions during a review meeting at Niyojan Bhawan on the Nashik district collectorate premises. He said financial institutions must follow government directives with sensitivity during the prevailing drought situation and asked local authorities to communicate the instructions to banks and other lenders.
The deputy chief minister said crop damage assessments, application verifications and the distribution of financial assistance must be completed transparently and without delay. He placed responsibility on the administration to ensure that eligible farmers receive the benefits of state policy decisions within the required timeframe.
“As far as loan recovery is concerned, no coercive measures should be implemented,” Shinde said, according to the report. He asked divisional commissioner Praveen Gedam and district collector Ayush Prasad to sensitise financial institutions regarding the government’s orders.
The meeting also focused on water scarcity and the requirements of drought-affected communities. Shinde instructed the administration to plan for drinking water, tanker supplies and cattle fodder through August 2027. The plan, he said, should be supported by employment guarantee works, dedicated water conservation initiatives and measures to increase water storage capacity.
The directive places water supply and drought relief within a longer administrative timeframe rather than treating them only as immediate emergency measures. It also links relief planning with employment, water conservation and storage, requiring coordination between departments responsible for revenue, agriculture, water resources, water conservation, animal husbandry and rural development.
Shinde also said psychological support for distressed farmers was important and called for the effective implementation of educational concessions for students in drought-affected areas. He appealed to farmers facing severe distress to approach government departments for assistance, saying the administration would provide the necessary aid.
The review meeting was attended by Water Resources and Nashik Guardian Minister Girish Mahajan, School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse, Food and Drug Administration Minister Narhari Zirwal, Nashik mayor Himgauri Adke Aaher, MPs Rajabhau Waje and Bhaskar Bhagre, legislators Gokul Gite, Kishor Darade and Seema Hire, and senior officials.
The measures will require coordination between the district administration and financial institutions, as well as the completion of crop damage assessments and application verification. The administration’s stated planning horizon for water, tanker supplies and cattle fodder extends through August 2027.
