Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Saturday extended till May 1 the deadline for online submission of applications by farmers to avail benefits under its mega loan waiver scheme.

The existing last date for filing applications under the scheme, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana (CSMSSY), was previously April 14.

A statement from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' office said the date of filing online applications by farmers for the loan waiver has been extended up to May 1.

The BJP-led government has been extending the deadline time and again since the announcement of the scheme in June 2017 to allow more eligible farmers to get its benefits.

The late date of availing benefits of One Time Settlement (OTS) scheme under the CSMSSY is June 30.

The Fadnavis government had announced a Rs 34,000- crore crop loan waiver for marginal farmers nearly a year ago.