Mumbai : The Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Relief Fund has grown by Rs 253 crore in the last one year while its current balance stood at over Rs 188 crore, an RTI query has revealed.
Fund under Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in the last one year has grown by Rs 253 crore, taking the total amount to Rs 264,68,96,551, the chief minister’s officer (CMO) replied to a query filed under the RTI by activist Anil Galgali.
The activist said as per the information provided by the CMO, out of the total fund, Rs 76 crore has been distributed in last one year. Several parts of the state are currently reeling under severe drought while farmers’ suicides have been reported from many parched regions.
Fadnavis in a personal drive ensured a collection of Rs 253 crore for the CM Relief Fund, Galgali said quoting the reply. Galgali had sought information from the CM Relief Fund desk about the balance in its account prior to and after Fadnavis taking over the CM’s office. He also sought the total amount of fund utilised and the balance in its account.
The Public Information Officer at the desk, KA Aroskar, in his reply informed that the total balance in the CM Relief Fund before November 1, 2014, was Rs 11,68,43,475. After Fadnavis took over as the CM, Rs 253,05,03,076 was collected, taking the total balance to Rs 264,68,96,551.
Out this balance Rs 76,19,67,088 was disbursed and the current balance is at Rs 188,49,29,463.
In order to ensure that there should never be any shortfall in the Fund and every deserving seeker be helped, there is a practice to keep funds in Fixed Deposits (FD), according to the reply. The FDs in the Fund was Rs 124,50,32,346 prior to CM Fadnavis assuming the office and there has been no change in the status up till now with the balance in FD’s remaining the same, taking the total of balance in FD’s and its account to Rs 312,99,61,809, Galgali said.
