Maharashtra to bring bill to give legal status to women farmers: CM Devendra Fadnavis

4 min readUpdated: Jun 21, 2026 09:17 PM IST

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis announces a bill to grant legal status to women farmers along with a major farm loan waiver and monsoon-related advisories.(source:File photo)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said that the state government will bring a bill in the Monsoon Session of the state legislature to give legal status to women farmers.

Addressing a press conference on the eve of the Monsoon Session of the state legislature on Sunday, Fadnavis said, “When we do surveys, it has been found that women form the majority workforce in farm work. But since they have no legal status or do not have farm land in their names, they are not considered farmers. Researcher Sowmya Swamninathan had made a presentation to us recommending legal status to female farmers. A bill will be brought which will give them legal status as farmers.”

Earlier, Fadnavis said, “We brought the farm loan waiver despite having no elections. For us, it is not a poll issue, but we do it to make farmers stronger. Waiver has never made farmers richer, but we have to do it to bring farmers into the net of lending. We had formed a committee to finalise the waiver. This will be the biggest loan waiver of Rs 36,585 crore, which will benefit 56 lakh farmers. It will be the biggest ever waiver announced.”

The CM added that the sub-committee under him has all the rights and will take necessary decisions to ensure benefits reach maximum farmers, maintaining that the present waiver has no conditions, while ensuring no adverse effect happens on the banking system.

He informed that Maharashtra has faced a monsoon deficit of 80 per cent till now, appealing to farmers not to rush with sowing. “According to the IMD, the monsoon is likely to hit Konkan by June 23. But Vidarbha and Marathwada are unlikely to get enough rain till the first week for sowing and that rain too will be scattered,” he said, adding that the deficit is 83 per cent in central Maharashtra and 86 per cent in Konkan. He added that advisories are being issued time-to-time to not undertake sowing until the farmland is saturated with 100mm rainfall.

Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar said that the Maharashtra government is committed to giving respect to women farmers and the government is set to bring a bill to ensure the same.

Earlier, Fadnavis said that the Opposition has failed to bring out a single new issue. “They repeat the same issues again and again, because they have absolutely no connection with the people and their issues,” he said, refuting allegations of the Opposition that contractors are being forced to pay 56 per cent commission to government officials.

Deputy CM Eknath Shinde said that the government’s flagship Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme will continue running and only those who are ineligible are being deleted.

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Initially, the self-certification was the criterion for beneficiaries, but it was found that many took undue advantage, the CM said, adding, “Ultimately, a thorough cleanup had to be done, and those who are ineligible are being omitted.”

‘Sena is not a pvt property’

When asked about Uddhav Thackeray offering to quit the post as chief of his party, Fadnavis said, “Shiv Sena is a legacy of ideology and not private property. He should stop making statements of quitting the village head post, which is ravaged (Osad Gavachi patilki sodnyachi bhasha karu naye). Those who followed the original ideology decided to part ways under the leadership of Eknath Shinde. The real Shiv Sena of Balasaheb Thackeray and its symbol ‘bow and arrow’ belong to Eknath Shinde.”

Alok Deshpande is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express' Mumbai bureau, recognized for his focused and authoritative reporting on governance, politics, and the socio-economic dynamics of Maharashtra's hinterlands. His unique academic background in Geology and early work in the water sector provides a specialized layer of Expertise to his reporting on resource and environmental issues.

Expertise

Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express, Mumbai.

Core Authority: Alok provides detailed coverage of Maharashtra politics and governance, with a particular emphasis on how policies and power struggles affect the rural and semi-urban areas (the 'hinterlands').

Key Coverage Areas: His reports frequently focus on high-stakes administrative and political topics, including:

State Assembly Proceedings: In-depth reporting on the Legislative Assembly, covering ministerial statements, legislative debates, and inter-party conflict within the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

Policy & Finance: Coverage of state finances, including supplementary budget demands, fiscal deficits, and major government schemes (e.g., Jal Jeevan Mission, Ladki Bahin Yojana).

Rural and Social Issues: Reports on critical health issues (e.g., child deaths in districts), human-animal conflict (leopard attacks, stray dogs), and agrarian concerns (e.g., farmer suicides).

Local and Urban Governance: Covers major announcements regarding urban development (e.g., BMC's OC amnesty scheme, pagdi system push) and local body elections, including political defections and alliance splits.

Unique Credentials & Trustworthiness

Academic Specialization: Holds a Post-graduate degree in Geology. This background gives him a foundational understanding of natural resources, which directly informs his reporting on environment, water, and infrastructure projects.

Early Professional Experience: His shift to journalism came after working with an NGO focused on the water sector. This practical experience strengthens his Expertise in critical areas like water management and rural development, as evidenced by his reporting on the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Journalism Training: An alumnus of the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, confirming his formal training and commitment to rigorous journalistic standards.

Alok Deshpande's rare combination of scientific education, non-profit sector experience, and deep political reporting makes him a highly trusted and authoritative voice on the governance and ground realities of Maharashtra.

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Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis