Government of India announced: In the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, which had received considerable mass media news coverage on farmer suicides, all farmer families of Vidarbha in six affected districts of Maharashtra were given a cash sum of each, to help pay off the debt principal. in interest owed, as of 30 June 2006, was waived. The burden of payment was shared equally between the Central and the State government. The Government created a special credit vehicle for Vidarbha farmers, to the tune of . Special teams comprising NABARD and banks were deputed to ensure fresh credit starts flowing to all farmers of the region. An allocation of was made to improve the irrigation infrastructure so that the farmers of the Vidarbha region had assured irrigation facilities in the future. Agricultural debt waiver and debt relief scheme, 2008 The Government of India next implemented the Agricultural debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme in 2008 to benefit over 36 million farmers at a cost of . This spending was aimed at the writing part of the loan principal as well as the interest owed by the farmers. Direct agricultural loan by stressed farmers under the so-called Kisan Credit Card was also to be covered under this Scheme. Regional initiatives Various state governments in India have launched their own initiatives to help prevent farmer suicides. The government of Maharashtra set up a dedicated group to deal with farm distress in 2006 known as the Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavlamban Mission, based in Amravati. A group to study the Farmers Suicides was also constituted by the Government of Karnataka under the chairmanship of Dr. Veeresh, former vice-chancellor of Agricultural University and Prof Deshpande as a member. Maharashtra Bill to regulate farmer loan terms, 2008 The State government of Maharashtra, one of the most farmer suicide-affected states, passed the Money Lending (Regulation) Act, 2008 to regulate all private money lending to farmers. The bill set maximum not legally allowed interest rates on any loans to farmers, setting it to be slightly above the money lending rate by Reserve Bank of India, and it also covered pending loans. Maharashtra Relief Package, 2010 The State Government of Maharashtra made it illegal, in 2010, for non-licensed moneylenders from seeking loan repayment. The State Government also announced that it will form Village Farmer Self Help Groups to disburse government-financed loans, a low rate Crop Insurance program whose premium will