Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday told the assembly during the ongoing Maharashtra Budget Session 2026 that eight lakh farmers have benefited from the government’s flagship solar agricultural feeder scheme, which provides affordable daytime electricity for irrigation and farming activities, reported the PTI.
CM Fadnavis said that work on 4,000 MW capacity under the Chief Minister Solar Agricultural Feeder Scheme (Mukhyamantri Solar Krushi Vahini Yojana 2.0) has been completed. The government now plans to scale up the initiative by an additional 10,000 MW, aiming to extend the scheme to nearly all regions by next year, though some areas still face challenges.
During Question Hour, the chief minister highlighted the popularity of the Maagel Tyala Saur Krushi Pump Yojana, which provides solar-powered irrigation pumps.
He cited an example of a woman farmer who told him that she uses solar energy for irrigation, and surplus electricity is stored in capacitors and batteries for home use at night.
Government targets 10 hours of daytime electricity
CM Fadnavis emphasised that the government aims to ensure at least 10 hours of electricity supply during the day for farmers, compared with the current average of around eight hours in some regions.
The state government’s solar initiative has received international recognition, with the International Solar Alliance identifying it as a flagship project. Fadnavis noted that the scheme has received seven to eight international awards, and the Central government has recommended that other states adopt a similar model.
Next phase focuses on battery storage
The chief minister stated that the next phase of the initiative will focus on battery storage systems, allowing round-the-clock utilisation of solar energy and improved integration with the state’s power grid.
Over 93,000 scholarship applications from students pending verification in Maharashtra
Meanwhile, the state government informed the legislative council on Tuesday that more than 93,000 scholarship applications from students seeking higher education are pending verification in Maharashtra, reported the PTI.
Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, in his written reply, said that verification is often stalled because students fail to attach the required documents, don`t submit hard copies of their applications to colleges, or upload incorrect documents on the portal.
Shiv Sena MLC Manisha Kayande and a few other legislators raised the issue, flagging concerns that around 1.42 lakh students had been deprived of scholarships over the last five years till December 2025, raising fears that financial constraints could lead to students dropping out.
According to data available on the MahaDBT portal as of February 27, a total of 93,326 applications are awaiting verification, the minister said.
He said that as many as 1,42,383 applications were pending verification till December 2025. However, after instructions were issued to divisional joint directors to expedite scrutiny, action was taken on 49,057 applications, according to the PTI.
Breaking down the latest figures, Patil said 81,753 of the pending applications relate to the current academic year (2025-26), while 11,573 are backlog cases from the last four years.
(with PTI inputs)
